If no sea turtle has ever been recorded as nesting on a California beach, it suggests that they are not completely unable to reproduce if they can't return to the beach where they hatched.
Although natal beach inaccessibility is presumably still a huge handicap to population survival.
edition.cnn.com
Tropical sea turtles discovered nesting in California for the first time in recorded history | CNN
Sea turtles usually found in the tropics have been spotted nesting on California beaches marking a historical first, according to officials.
