First sea turtle sighted in British Columbia

Sea turtles are a common sight along some North American coastal areas, but for the first time, an Olive Ridley sea turtle was spotted in British Columbia.

"This is really exciting. It’s the first confirmed sighting in B.C. waters," said Jennifer Yakimishyn, species at risk recovery planner at Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Olive ridleys, which are listed in the United States as threatened, are warm water turtles, but there have been sightings in Washington and Alaska, so it was suspected there could be some in B.C. waters, Yakimishyn said. "So this is a pretty significant find. It is the third (species of) turtle found in B.C. waters," she said. "My email box is full of messages from excited biologists. It’s causing a real stir in the science world." The other two species found in B.C. are green and leatherback turtles, but neither is common. Lisa Spaven, a Fisheries and Oceans Marine Mammal Response biologist, said the closest nesting beaches for olive ridley turtles are Mexico and California. Like all sea turtles, populations are endangered because of years of hunting.

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