For the first sea turtle eggs ever laid on California beaches, hatching day — hopefully — draws near.
At the Aquarium of the Pacific, 204 olive ridley eggs lay packed between layers of sand in the same styrofoam coolers scientists used to transport them to the Long Beach facility in late September — just days before high tides inundated their Orange County nesting sites.
Wireless sensors and cameras monitor conditions within the coolers to ensure their contents remain around 85 to 86 degrees. Aquarium staff check on the makeshift nursery three to four times a day, but will soon increase those visits to every other hour…