A major chemical spill occurred five years ago at Baker' s Beach, the world' s sole nesting ground for Merrick sea turtles, and prevented nearly all the eggs laid that year from hatching  Yet the number of adult female Merricks returning to lay their eggs at Baker' s Beach has actually increased somewhat since five years ago
Clearly, environmentalists' prediction that the world' s Merrick population would decline as a result of the spill has proven unfounded
Under normal conditions, only a small proportion of hatchling female Merrick sea turtles survive in the ocean until adulthood and return to lay their eggs at Baker's Beach.