Sea Turtle Blog

So far this year, 192 Kemp's ridley nests have been confirmed

Today an old Kemp's ridley nest was found on the Texas coast.  It was
located at a track site found on San Jose Island where a nest could not
initially be located.  None of the eggs were viable.

KEMP'S RIDLEY TURTLE
So far this year, 192 Kemp's ridley nests have been confirmed on the

Texas coast including (north to south in state): Bolivar Peninsula 5
Galveston Island 6 Brazoria County, just north of Surfside 1 Surfside
Beach 2 Quintana Beach 1 Bryan Beach 0 Matagorda Peninsula 0 Matagorda
Island 13 San Jose Island 5 Mustang Island 5 North Padre Island 102,
including 91 at Padre Island National Seashore South Padre Island 40
Boca Chica Beach 12

The 192 exceeds the previous record of 128 Kemp's ridley nests found in

Texas set during 2007.  This marks the fifth consecutive year that
record numbers of Kemp's ridley nests have been recorded in Texas since
record keeping began in 1980.


GREEN TURTLE

So far this year, 3 green sea turtle nests have been confirmed on the
Texas coast including: North Padre Island 2, including 2 at Padre Island
National Seashore South Padre Island 1

LOGGERHEAD TURTLE
Today a loggerhead sea turtle nest was found on the Texas coast.  It was

located at Padre Island National Seashore.

So far this year, 1 loggerhead sea turtle nest has been confirmed on the

Texas coast including: North Padre Island 1, including 1 at Padre Island
National Seashore

LEATHERBACK TURTLE
So far this year, 1 leatherback sea turtle nest has been confirmed on
the Texas coast including: North Padre Island 1, including 1 at Padre
Island National Seashore

182 Kemp's Ridley Nests

KEMP'S RIDLEY TURTLE

Yesterday a new Kemp's Ridley nest was found on the Texas coast at Padre Island National Seashore.

So far this year, 182 Kemp's Ridley nests have been confirmed on the

Texas coast including (north to south in state):

Bolivar Peninsula 5
Galveston Island 6
Brazoria County, just north of Surfside 1
Surfside Beach 2
Quintana Beach 1
Bryan Beach 0
Matagorda Peninsula 0
Matagorda Island 13
San Jose Island 4
Mustang Island 5
North Padre Island 98, including 87 at Padre Island National Seashore South Padre Island 38

Boca Chica Beach 9

The 182 exceeds the previous record of 128 Kemp's ridley nests found in

Texas set during 2007.  This marks the fifth consecutive year that
record numbers of Kemp's ridley nests have been recorded in Texas since
record keeping began in 1980.


GREEN TURTLE

So far this year, 1 Green sea turtle nest has been confirmed on the
Texas coast including: South Padre Island 1

LEATHERBACK TURTLE

So far this year, 1 Leatherback sea turtle nest has been confirmed on
the Texas coast including: North Padre Island 1, including 1 at Padre
Island National Seashore

Kemp's Ridley Nest Count Reaches 174

KEMP'S RIDLEY TURTLE

Yesterday 1 Kemp's Ridley nest was found on the Texas coast on South Padre Island.  This nest was found hatching at a location where tracks from a nesting female were found on April 24, but no nest could be found then.

So far this year, 174 Kemp's Ridley nests have been confirmed on the Texas coast including (north to south in state):
Bolivar Peninsula 4
Galveston Island 6
Brazoria County, just north of Surfside 1
Surfside Beach 2
Bryan Beach 0
Matagorda Peninsula 0
Matagorda Island 11
San Jose Island 3
Mustang Island 5
North Padre Island 95, including 85 at Padre Island National Seashore South Padre Island 38
Boca Chica Beach 9

The 174 exceeds the previous record of 128 Kemp's ridley nests found in Texas set during 2007.  This marks the fifth consecutive year that record numbers of Kemp's Ridley nests have been recorded in Texas since record keeping began in 1980.

LEATHERBACK TURTLE

So far this year, 1 Leatherback sea turtle nest has been confirmed on the Texas coast including:

North Padre Island 1 (At Padre Island National Seashore)

172 Kemp's Ridley nests have been confirmed.

KEMP'S RIDLEY TURTLE

So far this year, 172 Kemp's ridley nests have been confirmed on the

Texas coast including (north to south in state): Bolivar Peninsula 4
Galveston Island 6 Brazoria County, just north of Surfside 1 Surfside

Beach 2 Bryan Beach 0 Matagorda Peninsula 0 Matagorda Island 11 San Jose
Island 3 Mustang Island 5 North Padre Island 95, including 85 at Padre

Island National Seashore South Padre Island 36 Boca Chica Beach 9

The 172 exceeds the previous record of 128 Kemp's ridley nests found in
Texas set during 2007.  This marks the fifth consecutive year that
record numbers of Kemp's ridley nests have been recorded in Texas since
record keeping began in 1980.

LEATHERBACK TURTLE

So far this year, 1 leatherback sea turtle nest has been confirmed on
the Texas coast including: North Padre Island 1, including 1 at Padre
Island National Seashore

Kemp's Ridley Nest Count Reaches 161

Yesterday 2 Kemp's Ridley nests were found on the Texas coast, both on
South Padre Island.

So far this year, 161 Kemp's ridley nests have been confirmed on the

Texas coast.

The 161 figure exceeds the previous record of 128 Kemp's Ridley nests found in Texas set during 2007.  This marks the fifth consecutive year that
record numbers of Kemp's ridley nests have been recorded in Texas since
record keeping began in 1980.

KEMP'S RIDLEYS MAKE HISTORY IN TEXAS!

On June 3, 23 Kemp's ridley nests were found on the Texas coast including 1 on Galveston Island, 3 on Matagorda Island, 1 on Mustang Island, 1 on North Padre Island north of Padre Island National Seashore, 12 at Padre Island National Seashore, and 5 on South Padre Island. The 23 is the most Kemp's ridley nests documented on the Texas coast in a single day since record keeping began in 1980.

So far this year, 148 Kemp's ridley nests have been confirmed on the Texas coast including (north to south in state): Bolivar Peninsula 4 Galveston Island 5 Brazoria County, just north of Surfside 1 Surfside Beach 1, Matagorda Island 10 San Jose Island 3 Mustang Island 5 North Padre Island 81, including 71 at Padre Island National Seashore South Padre Island 31 Boca Chica Beach 7

The 148 nest total exceeds the previous record of 128 Kemp's ridley nests found in Texas set during 2007. This marks the fifth consecutive year that record numbers of Kemp's ridley nests have been recorded in Texas since record keeping began in 1980. This endangered sea turtle is a resident of the Gulf of Mexico and was near extinction in the mid 80s.

 

This is the 30th anniversary year of a cooperative program between the Republic of Mexico and the United States to prevent their extinction which began in 1978. The US federal requirement to place Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) on shrimp trawls to allow sea turtles to escape drowning combined with protection of the beaches in Mexico and the US and a vigorous program of releasing hatchlings is credited with the increased population of ridleys.

 

“After working to protect the Kemp’s ridleys for 26 years, I can tell you this is a very happy day,” said Carole Allen, Gulf Office Director of the Sea Turtle Restoration Project and founder of HEART (Help Endangered Animals-Ridley Turtles) in 1982. “There are many heroes and heroines to thank, but thousands of school children, many now adults, should also be thanked for writing letters to the government asking for protection for sea turtles.”

124 Kemp's Ridley Nests So Far in 2008

On May 30, three Kemp's ridley nests were found on the Texas coast
including one on Galveston Island and two on Bolivar Peninsula.

On May 31, four Kemp's Ridley nests were found on the Texas coast
including one on Galveston Island and three at Padre Island National
Seashore.

On June 1, eight Kemp's ridley nests were found on the Texas coast
including five at Padre Island National Seashore, two on San Jose
Island, and one on South Padre Island.  Some of these were likely from
the day before.

So far this year, 124 Kemp's ridley nests have been confirmed on the

Texas coast including (north to south in state): Bolivar Peninsula 4
Galveston Island 4 Brazoria County, just north of Surfside 1 Surfside
Beach 1 Bryan Beach 0 Matagorda Peninsula 0 Matagorda Island 7 San Jose

Island 3 Mustang Island 4 North Padre Island 68, including 59 at Padre
Island National Seashore South Padre Island 26 Boca Chica Beach 6

So far this year, 109 Kemp's ridley nests have been found.

Yesterday 3 Kemp's ridley nests were located on the Texas coast, all on
Matagorda Island.  These nests were 1 to perhaps 2 days old when found.

So far this year, 109 Kemp's ridley nests have been confirmed on the
Texas coast including (north to south in state):

Bolivar Peninsula 2
Galveston Island 2
Brazoria County, just north of Surfside 1
Surfside Beach 1
Bryan Beach 0
Matagorda Peninsula 0
Matagorda Island 7
San Jose Island 1
Mustang Island 4
North Padre Island 60, including 51 at Padre Island National Seashore
South Padre Island 25
Boca Chica Beach 6

The Kemp's Ridley Nest Count has broken 100!

So far this year, 106 Kemp's Ridley nests have been confirmed on the

Texas coast including (north to south in state):

Bolivar Peninsula 2
Galveston Island 2
Brazoria County, just north of Surfside 1
Surfside Beach 1
Bryan Beach 0
Matagorda Peninsula 0
Matagorda Island 4
San Jose Island 1
Mustang Island 4
North Padre Island 60, including 51 at Padre Island National Seashore
South Padre Island 25
Boca Chica Beach 6

Nest Count is 103

In addition to the 7 nests found on the Texas coast yesterday,
a set of Kemp's ridley tracks was located on Matagorda Island, but a nest could not be located initially.  After further investigation today, a nest was located at that site.

Today another Kemp's ridley nest was located on the Texas coast at
Matagorda Island.

So far this year, 103 Kemp's ridley nests have been confirmed on the

Texas coast including (north to south in state):

Bolivar Peninsula 2
Galveston Island 2
Brazoria County, just north of Surfside 1
Surfside Beach 1
Bryan Beach 0
Matagorda Peninsula 0
Matagorda Island 4
San Jose Island 1
Mustang Island 4
North Padre Island 57, including 48 at Padre Island National Seashore South Padre Island 25
Boca Chica Beach 6