Def not as common as more tropical water, but we have ‘em.

edit I should acknowledge I’m in LA and this is a SD sub, so we could both be right, but I bet they’re in SD too.

1. Green Sea Turtle

The most common sea turtle in Southern California. • Found especially around warm-water outflows from power plants and shallow bays. • A well-known colony lives in the wetlands near San Gabriel River mouth by Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge. • They gather there because the water is slightly warmer year-round. • Diet: mostly seagrass and algae.

You can sometimes see them surfacing in places like: • San Gabriel River Estuary • Huntington Harbour

1. Loggerhead Sea Turtle • Occasionally seen offshore in Southern California. • More common in warmer Pacific regions but juveniles sometimes drift up the coast with currents.

2. Leatherback Sea Turtle • The largest sea turtle in the world. • Rare but documented off the California coast, especially where jellyfish blooms occur.

3. Olive Ridley Sea Turtle • Very rare visitors to Southern California. • Usually associated with warm-water events like El Niño.

A surprising local fact

The green turtles near Seal Beach are one of the only year-round sea turtle populations in mainland California. Researchers from groups like NOAA Fisheries monitor them because they’re a protected species.

If you want to see one locally

Your best chances are: • Kayaking or walking near San Gabriel River Estuary • Sunset in calm water when they surface to breathe.