Huntington Beach airshow faces pressure over endangered sea turtle nests

The Pacific Airshow in Huntington Beach faces potential disruption due to the discovery of two olive ridley sea turtle nests. This marks the first recorded natural nesting of any sea turtle species on the US West Coast, as confirmed by NOAA and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

One nest was located near Surfside and Seal Beach in mid-September, while a second was found near the Huntington Beach Pier on September 19. Both nests are currently in their 45-to-60-day incubation period, which overlaps with the airshow scheduled for October 2 through October 4.

Environmental advocates have launched an online petition with nearly 1,400 signatures calling for the event to be canceled or postponed. Concerns include heavy foot traffic near the pier nesting site and the potential impact of noise and ground vibrations from high-performance military jets on the developing embryos.

Wildlife officials have fenced off the nesting areas and implemented 24-hour monitoring. While event organizers have adjusted pedestrian routes and vendor locations to protect the zones, the flight schedule remains unchanged. Any formal decision to alter the event would require coordination between city officials and federal and state agencies.