Beach battle erupts as classic California event faces closure over environmental backlash

A pair of endangered sea turtles has put Huntington Beach’s blockbuster Pacific Airshow in an unexpected bind, with nearly 1,400 people signing an online petition demanding the event be canceled or postponed.

The drama centers on two olive ridley turtles that recently laid nests along the Orange County coast.

NOAA and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife have confirmed the animals are separate turtles, making the discovery the first recorded natural nesting of any sea turtle species on the US West Coast.

One turtle laid a nest near Surfside and Seal Beach in mid-September.

Just three days later, on Sept. 19, another olive ridley laid eggs near the Huntington Beach Pier.

Now the nests are staring down an airshow scheduled for Oct. 2 through Oct. 4, right in the middle of their incubation period. Olive ridley eggs typically take 45 to 60 days to hatch.

That has locals worried about what happens when the beach gets slammed with airshow crowds.

One of the nests sits in a prime viewing corridor near the pier, an area expected to see heavy foot traffic during the weekend.

The concern goes beyond people wandering too close.

Advocates fear the pounding noise and ground vibrations generated by high-performance military jets could interfere with the developing eggs, although the effects of those low-frequency vibrations on reptile embryos in loose sand remain largely unstudied on the West Coast.

Wildlife officials aren’t taking chances. NOAA, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and state and local partners have fenced off the nesting areas, posted warnings and begun 24-hour monitoring.

But the airshow is still on.

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Organizers and city officials are making adjustments to the ground operation, including moving some pedestrian routes, vendor booths and attractions away from the protected areas. The flight schedule remains unchanged.

The petition itself cannot force the city to pull the plug. Any decision to cancel, move or postpone the event would require action involving Huntington Beach and the federal and state agencies responsible for protecting the endangered turtles.

The bizarre showdown comes after experts initially believed one turtle had produced both nests. Analysis of the animals’ body shapes and distinctive shell patterns later confirmed there were two.

Wildlife officials are also watching for signs that more turtles could come ashore.