The first Kemp’s ridley sea turtle nest of the 2024 season was discovered at Padre Island National Seashore in Texas on Monday, April 15th, marking an optimistic start for the world’s most endangered sea turtle species. The nest was located by park staff between beach markers 61 and 62 during their daily patrols.
Cooperative Conservation Efforts Continue
This year marks the 46th anniversary of the bi-national Kemp’s ridley conservation project between the U.S. and Mexico, aimed at saving the species from the brink of extinction. In 1947, an estimated 40,000 Kemp’s ridley turtles nested on a single stretch of beach near Rancho Nuevo, Mexico – at the time, the only known nesting site. However, over the following four decades, the species suffered a devastating 99.4% decline due to human exploitation of turtle eggs and adults.
In response, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and partners launched the cooperative recovery program in 1978, focusing on nest protection in the U.S. and Mexico, requiring turtle excluder devices on shrimp trawls, and establishing a secondary nesting colony at Padre Island where historical nesting had occurred.
“The Kemp’s ridley is critically endangered, so every nest is crucial,” said Donna Shaver, Chief of the Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery at the National Seashore. “We’re grateful for the public’s help in spotting and reporting nests.”
Nesting Numbers Slowly Rebounding
The intensive conservation efforts have helped the Kemp’s ridley population gradually rebound from a low of just 702 nests worldwide in 1985.
In 2023, 256 nests were found in Texas, the largest number since 2017 when 353 nests were documented. More Kemp’s ridley nests are now found at Padre Island than anywhere else in the U.S., providing an important safeguard for the species.
However, experts caution that the population remains extremely vulnerable. “We’ve made good progress, but the Kemp’s ridley is still in a very precarious position,” said Shaver. “Continued protection of nesting beaches and females is absolutely essential for long-term recovery.” Threats like entanglement in fishing gear, habitat loss, pollution, and climate change continue to jeopardize the species.
Public Urged to Help Protect Nesting Turtles
With the nesting season underway, officials are calling on the public to be vigilant and help protect the endangered turtles. Female Kemp’s ridleys, which nest during daylight hours, are vulnerable to being run over by vehicles while on the beach.
Their nests are also at risk from predation, high tides, and human disturbance. “We’re asking beachgoers to drive slowly, watch for nesting turtles, and avoid disturbing them or their tracks,” said Mary Kay Skoruppa, USFWS Sea Turtle Coordinator.
Anyone who finds a nesting turtle, tracks, or nest should keep their distance and immediately report it to the Sea Turtle Hotline at 1-866-TURTLE5. Trained staff will respond to mark and protect the nest.The public can witness conservation in action at the National Seashore’s popular hatchling releases, held when nests begin hatching in June.
The events, which draw thousands of spectators, are both educational and inspiring. “Watching tiny hatchlings race to the surf gives people an emotional connection to sea turtles and the drive to protect them,” said Shaver. “That gives us hope.”
See more : Samsung Wins Massive $6.4 Billion Subsidy to Expand Chip Production in Texas
