Long Beach Aquarium prepares for Southern California's first sea turtle hatching

The Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific is preparing for what could be the first-ever hatching of sea turtle eggs laid on a Southern California beach, CBS News Los Angeles reported.

The olive ridley turtle eggs were originally laid on Seal Beach and Huntington Beach in late September, marking the first recorded instance of turtle nesting in the region, according to CBS News Los Angeles.

To protect the eggs from hazards such as high tides, wildlife officials relocated 204 eggs to the aquarium, where they have been stored in a 90-degree room and closely monitored, CBS News Los Angeles said.

Dr. Lance Adams, the aquarium's Director of Veterinary Medicine, said the best-case scenario is a hatching rate of between a quarter and a half of the eggs, noting that survival chances would have been lower if the eggs had remained on the beach.

If the eggs hatch, specialists plan to transport the baby turtles to the ocean quickly to maximize their chances of survival, CBS News Los Angeles reported.