A rare sea turtle turned up on a Florida beach, and it made state history.

The Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach said an unexpected visitor named Tini became the first suspected olive ridley sea turtle documented on its beach during Sea Turtle Week, which runs from June 8 to June 16.

“A few weeks ago, an unexpected visitor named ‘Tini’ made history as the first-ever suspected olive ridley sea turtle documented on our beach,” the conservation center shared on Facebook on June 12.

The center said blood samples were sent to The Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia for genetic analysis.

“To confirm her species, blood samples were sent to The Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia for genetic analysis, and the results are officially in: Tini is 100 percent olive ridley!”

According to the Loggerhead Marinelife Center, olive ridleys are among the most abundant sea turtle species in the world. The species, also known as the Pacific ridley sea turtle, is primarily found in India, Mexico and Costa Rica.

The center said substantial nesting populations can also be found in Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil and Gabon, but it is virtually unheard of for an olive ridley to nest along Florida beaches.

“Sightings along Florida’s east coast are incredibly rare, making Tini’s appearance all the more remarkable,” the Loggerhead Marinelife Center said.

Tini’s nest marks the first documented case of an olive ridley sea turtle nesting in Florida, according to the center.

“A huge thank you to our partners at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the University of Georgia for helping document and confirm this extraordinary sea turtle,” the center added.

The olive ridley is one of the smallest sea turtles. An adult’s shell measures up to about 0.6 to 0.76 metres in length, and they weigh between about 36 and 50 kilograms on average.

The species is known for its heart-shaped, olive-green shell. Unlike other sea turtles, olive ridleys use two nesting strategies: solitary nesting, like Tini, and mass nesting by the thousands.

In Mexico, that synchronized mass nesting event is known as an arribada. The phenomenon results in the simultaneous nesting of thousands, and sometimes tens of thousands, of olive ridleys.

Experts believe the technique is used to overwhelm potential predators and keep hatchlings safe.

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