Olive Ridley Sea Turtle at Marin’s Marine Mammal Center

Rare giant sea turtle found on Stinson Beach

An endangered giant sea turtle rarely found north of Mexico washed up alive on Stinson Beach after drifting possibly thousands of miles.

“This is definitely a rare find, one of only three live olive ridley turtles I know of reported in the scientific literature since 2001 along the Central California coast,” said Todd Steiner, a biologist and executive director of the Sea Turtle Restoration Project, based in Marin County.

Steiner said the turtle was suffering from what is known as cold-stunning, a unique state of suspended animation that can allow a turtle to survive for months in cold water. The big green reptile was covered with algae, barnacles, shore crabs and ghost shrimp, indicating that it had been floating for a long time. Subsequent blood tests revealed it was malnourished.

We often see Olive RIdley sea turtles nesting on the beach at the La Flor Wildlife Refuge, but shifting currents and climate sometimes get sea turtles a little off track.