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In the past month, two sea turtles have been found on Oregon's shores.
According to the Oregon Coast Aquarium, which attempted to rehabilitate both animals, we're likely to see more strandings.
"Strandings may occur prior to winter as turtles fail to migrate back to warmer waters before temperatures drop," reads an announcement from the aquarium. "But they typically occur during winter when tumultuous ocean conditions are at their peak."
Oregon has seen an uptick in sea turtle stranding over the past decade. Injured or sick sea turtles have begun washing up on Oregon beaches annually, but it rarely happens this frequently and this early in the fall.
Olive Ridley sea turtles, the kind that became stranded in Oregon, are far from native to the region. Members of the endangered species migrate thousands of miles but prefer tropical waters.
However, in recent years, El Niño storms and oceanic heat waves have brought the turtles farther north, where they can become stunned by the cold water when the temperature drops.
That's what's landed the marine reptiles in Oregon over the past few years, and why their chances of surviving are so low once they wash up on shore. Both turtles recently stranded in Lincoln City were hypothermic and died shortly after they arrived at the Oregon Coast Aquarium.
Beachgoers who find turtles or other stranded aquatic animals can call the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network at 1-866-767-6114.