Health & Fitness
See Sea Turtles in Long Beach
See the Sea Turtles that are living in Long Beach by taking a hike in the Los Cerritos Wetlands.
Californian:
“You mean I can see sea turtles right here in Long Beach? Long Beach, California? That I don’t have to travel to Mexico, Costa Rica or Hawaii? That I can actually take a nature hike and see sea turtles without getting in a boat?”
Ecologist:
“Yes, indeed you can see endangered green sea turtles in Long Beach. And, for free!”
A group of endangered sea turtles has taken up residence in a portion of the San
Gabriel River. In the 1980’s, wildlife authorities would receive occasional calls reporting sea turtle sightings, but no one really gave much credence to these reports. Then, in 1988, a caller piqued the interest of a scientist who investigated the sightings and, sure enough, found a small colony of sea turtles living in the San Gabriel River.
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Green sea turtles usually live in tropical or subtropical areas. There are many sea turtle nesting grounds along the Mexican coast. These turtles are an ancient species, dating as far back as 30 million years ago. They can grow up to 5 feet long and weigh as much as 500 pounds. Mature green sea turtles are usually found in shallow coastal waters with sea grass beds.
An unlikely source seems to be the reason the green sea turtles have taken up
residence in our city. The Haynes Power Plant discharges warm water into the river, and it is this discharge site, where the turtles can be found. The origin of our Long Beach sea turtle colony is not known. They may have come from a colony of sea turtles found living near the warm water discharge of a San Diego power plant in the 1970’s.
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Two wetlands ecologist will lead a tour of the Los Cerritos Wetlands on Saturday, March 3rd at 8 a.m. The tour will take you through salt marshes to the San Gabriel River for a glimpse of the sea turtles. I have been on two of their previous tours and gained an appreciation of the unique salt marsh environment. I learned about the lives of the Tong-va, Native Americans. The best part was sighting birds such as kingfishers and ospreys and even seeing a coyote. Join me for this fun and informative hike!
The tour begins on the inland side of the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and 1st Street, just at the border of Long Beach and Seal Beach. There is ample parking and the hike last about two hours.
For more information or to RSVP for the March 3rd walk, contact Elizabeth at ejlambe@verizon.net. Learn more about the wetlands at www.lcwlandtrust.org