This blog is published as a guest post authored by Sabrina Mashburn, Executive Director of SoCal Sea Turtles, a regional advocacy group working to protect sea turtles in Southern California.
PICTURE THIS: it’s a beautiful, sunny day and you’re enjoying a morning kayak in San Diego’s South Bay when, just a few yards away, something resembling an avocado with a beak pops up out of the water, quietly observing you. It’s gone before you can get out your phone to show all of Instagram. No, you’re not going crazy—you’re one of the lucky few to encounter a sea turtle in California.
Are There Sea Turtles in California?
Yes, even locals are surprised to learn that you can see sea turtles in California year-round. Green sea turtles are both the most common and easiest to spot in Southern California, but other species, including Loggerheads and Leatherbacks, are spotted as far north as San Francisco.
Juvenile and adult green sea turtles, once extremely rare due to over-hunting, are becoming more common in bays, lagoons, and river mouths throughout the Southern California region. Locally, we have around 60-100 resident green sea turtles in San Diego, a healthy increase thanks to successful conservation efforts starting in the 1970s. [1]
Where Do Southern California’s Sea Turtles Come From?
Though many of the green turtles in San Diego are full-time residents, Southern California is not where they start their lives. They nest in Mexico, and females will return to those same beaches to lay their eggs once they reach maturity. In fact, the turtles are so at home here that they often return to San Diego Bay between nesting. [1] (Can you blame them!?)
Summer Is Peak Season For San Diego Sea Turtles
Sea turtles live in San Diego year-round, but because they are reptiles, they depend on external heat sources to function. In the cold winter months, they slow down and enter a state called “brumation.” Brumation is a drastic lowering in heart rate, caloric consumption, and physical activity, which allows sea turtles (and some other reptile species, too) to conserve energy during their “off-season.”
That’s why summer is the best time of year to see sea turtles in San Diego—the warmer water and air temperatures are idyllic for them! Now that it’s summer, our local sea turtles are becoming more active every day. We are expecting more encounters with these ancient mariners as more of us flock to the beaches and bays to cool off from the summer heat and enjoy boating and recreating on the waters we share.
But even in winter, they can still be seen hanging out in their favorite resting and feeding spots, like this “fuzzy” green sea turtle swimming so slowly that it got covered in green algae, photographed in La Jolla Cove in May 2025.
If you spot a sea turtle in California, be sure to report it on the SoCal Sea Turtle’s turtle tracker!
Where to See Sea Turtles in California Responsibly
From San Diego up to Santa Barbara, sea turtles in California like to spend their days feasting on seagrasses, seaweeds (especially the fluffy bright green Ulva or “sea lettuce”), and sea snails, popping up to the surface every few minutes to take a breath or float with their big flippers crossed over their shells, soaking up the sun’s rays between dives.
If you want to see Southern California sea turtles in the wild, be on the lookout around their favorite feeding areas and you might be lucky enough to spot one! Just be mindful to respect these wild (and protected) animals from a safe distance to avoid disturbing their natural behaviors.
Some favorite local sea turtle “salad bars” include:
- The Marine Room dive spot – La Jolla Cove, San Diego
- Chula Vista Boat Launching Ramp at the “J” Street Marina Park – San Diego Bay, California
- Safe Harbor Sunroad Resort & Marina – Point Loma, San Diego
- Agua Hedionda/Carlsbad Lagoon – Carlsbad, California
- “Guano Rock” – Catalina Island, California
- Dana Point, Newport Harbor, and Huntington Harbor – Orange County
- The San Gabriel River & Los Cerritos Wetlands – Long Beach
What’s Being Done To Protect California Sea Turtles?
Sea turtle populations in the eastern Pacific have rebounded significantly with the help of national and global efforts, including the Endangered Species Act here in the United States. In the mid-1990s, sea turtle foraging areas also became protected, as it was understood that protecting their habitat protected them.
Most importantly, successful conservation efforts of their nesting beaches in Mexico have enabled numbers to recover from near collapse, and we are now seeing more and more juveniles entering the population, which gives great hope for the future.
Even though sea turtles are making a comeback throughout Southern California, they still need our help. Here’s what’s being done to protect them and how you can do your part!
Protecting Sea Turtles From Boat Strikes and Marine Litter
Our sea turtles like the same calm, protected waters that we do, which can lead to some unfortunate accidents during the busy summer season here in southern California.
Sea turtles have been found floating on the surfaces of San Diego and Mission Bays, or washed up dead on our beaches with telltale injuries from being sliced by boat propellers or impact wounds from being smashed into by vessels large and small. Others have been found entangled in ropes, fishing line, and other marine litter that prevents them from being able to feed or reach the surface to breathe.
Although some accidents can’t be avoided, we can protect more of our local sea turtles from human-caused harm this summer by making a few simple, common-sense changes and commitments to the way we recreate on the water:
- Follow posted speed limits near shore during dawn and dusk, especially when visibility is low and turtles are less active.
- Post a lookout for surfacing sea turtles in bays, estuaries, and harbors, especially when boating through channels, as sea turtles like to eat the seaweeds and snails that live on the cement pilings and rocks.
- Pick up trash you see when walking on the beach, piers, and boardwalks, especially:
- Fishing line, ropes, nets, and other entanglement hazards
- Metal hooks
- Plastic food wrappers
- Discarded plastic toys
- Reduce your use of single-use plastic that can make its way into our waterways and coastal waters and mistaken for food by marine life.
- Support local legislation and projects that protect, restore, and allocate more resources and manpower to cleaning up our sea turtles’ favorite habitats.
Healthy nearshore habitats not only support sea turtles, but many fish, birds, and shellfish, too—protecting turtles protects entire habitats!
Protecting Southern California Sea Turtles Through Dedicated Advocacy
SoCal Sea Turtles is a local San Diego-based nonprofit organization working with anglers, boaters, spearfishers, and other ocean-loving humans to protect sea turtles and their habitats from harm. They do this by meeting boaters and anglers wherever they congregate. SoCal Sea Turtles distributes turtle awareness dock signage to marinas and provides free waterproof materials to take out in the boat, so sea turtle safety tips and hotlines are always close at hand.
What to do when you see a sea turtle in California:
- Look and admire, but don’t touch!
- Report California sea turtle sightings to the SoCal Sea Turtles tracker
- Call the NOAA sea turtle stranding hotline immediately if you see an injured or dead sea turtle: 1-562-506-4315
In addition to reporting a hooked/injured/dead sea turtle to NOAA’s hotline (1-562-506-4315), you can also notify the US Coast Guard (Channel 16).
More About SoCal Sea Turtles
SoCal Sea Turtles also gives talks and educational presentations to audiences of all ages. You’ll see their interactive sea turtle booth and table at events large and small along the coast of California from Santa Barbara to the border.
Please visit their website at www.SoCalSeaTurtles.org for more information on how you can help protect southern California’s sea turtles this summer!
About the Author:
Sabrina Mashburn, MSEd., MAS, is the Founder and Executive Director of SoCal Sea Turtles, where her main areas of focus are communicating with the public, hosting events, and networking with marine and government organizations about sea turtle safety and protection. She can be reached through the contact on her bio page.
