{"id":500472,"date":"2026-10-18T21:58:14","date_gmt":"2026-10-18T21:58:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/500472\/"},"modified":"2026-10-18T21:58:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-18T21:58:14","slug":"the-exotic-and-extremely-weird-new-species-being-spotted-off-california-as-super-el-nino-looms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/500472\/","title":{"rendered":"The exotic \u2013\u2013 and extremely weird \u2013\u2013 new species being spotted off California as super El Ni\u00f1o looms"},"content":{"rendered":"

As one of the strongest El Ni\u00f1os<\/a> on record builds in the Pacific, California’s coastal waters are filling with unusual visitors including whale sharks, hammerheads and even venomous sea snakes.<\/p>\n

\"Longfin<\/p>\n

Longfin bigeye fish Instagram\/@fleming_fish_co<\/p>\n

A longfin bigeye fish was spotted in California last month for the first time, according to Reuters<\/a>. An endangered olive ridley sea turtle laid eggs<\/a> in two separate nests in Orange County, hundreds of miles outside the species’ usual range.<\/p>\n

The nests, in Seal Beach<\/a> and Huntington Beach, are the first documented olive ridley nests ever recorded on the West Coast, according to NOAA Fisheries.<\/p>\n

\"Sea<\/p>\n

Sea turtle eggs are seen in Huntington Beach, California, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. via REUTERS<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A protected sea turtle nest sits along Surfside Colony Beach in Huntington Beach, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, after an Olive Ridley sea turtle came ashore and laid eggs, believed to be the first ever confirmed Olive Ridley nest on the U.S. West Coast. Pedro Colo for CA Post<\/p>\n

Both nesting areas have been fenced off and marked with warning signs, while experts will continuously monitor the nests throughout the incubation period.<\/p>\n

Jackie Aguilar and her family were walking along Crystal Cove State Beach on the night of Sept. 11 when she came across what appeared to be a yellow-bellied sea snake<\/a>. Experts had warned that the potentially deadly predator could come ashore as waters warm.<\/p>\n

The species hasn’t been seen in the region in nearly a decade. Certified marine naturalist Capt. Chad Steffen said it looked like a yellow-bellied sea snake, which carries enough venom to kill a human.<\/p>\n

\"Jackie<\/p>\n

Jackie Aguilar and her family spotted a yellow-bellied sea snake on Crystal Cove State Beach on the night of Sept. 11 Ken Griffiths \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

\"Orcas<\/p>\n

Orcas travel through the water off Newport Beach in Orange County, California. Facebook\/Newport Landing Whale Watching<\/p>\n

Whale watchers had a stunning encounter of their own when a pod of killer whales swam<\/a> alongside their boat off Newport Beach on Sept. 29.<\/p>\n

Passengers on a Newport Landing Whale Watching cruise counted 10 to 13 orcas. The animals normally live in waters off Mexico and Central America, and the unusually warm ocean appears to have drawn them north.<\/p>\n

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\"A<\/p>\n

A pod of 10 to 13 orcas travels through the waters off Newport Beach, California. Facebook\/Newport Landing Whale Watching<\/p>\n

“Killer whales can be identified from their dorsal fins and this exact pod of eastern tropical pacific killer whales has been to Newport several times before\u2014in 2018, 2023, 2024, and 2026!” the company posted on social media, along with a video of the sighting.<\/a><\/p>\n

Strong El Ni\u00f1o years have long brought subtropical species north, including hammerhead sharks during the powerful 2015-16 event, when several of the few earlier sea snake sightings in Southern California also occurred.\u00a0<\/p>\n