Rare sea turtle from Mexico found in NorCal river

If you've seen a turtle in the San Joaquin River recently, the little fellow is unfortunately very lost.

Fisherman Dan Maloon thought he saw a plastic bag floating in the river, but upon closer inspection he realized it was a sea turtle. He shot some video which was shown to experts for analysis.

Marin County experts at the Turtle Island Restoration Network delivered the shocking confirmation: What Maloon saw was an Eastern Pacific green sea turtle, most commonly found in the waters off central and southern Mexico.

It's possible that warm El Niño waters lured the wayward turtle further north.

More signs from nature that El Niño rains may be on the way:

Signs that El Niño has arrived. Signs that El Niño has arrived. Photo: Victor Calzada, AP Photo Photo: Victor Calzada, AP Photo Image 1 of / 25 Caption Close Rare sea turtle from Mexico found in NorCal river 1 / 25 Back to Gallery

"This animal clearly came from the Pacific Ocean, there's no question about that," Turtle Island Restoration Network spokesman Todd Steiner told CBS Sacramento. "Apparently went north into San Francisco Bay and now it seems to be heading directly east."

Green sea turtles are an endangered species, and this one's long voyage north is no summer vacation. The colder waters of Northern California could lead to hypothermia for Mr. or Ms. Turtle. The turtle was last seen in Lathrop near Manteca.