Forty Kemp’s ridley sea turtle nests, containing 3,759 eggs, were found on Texas beaches during 2004. Twenty-five were located on North Padre Island (including 22 at Padre Island National Seashore), two on Bolivar Peninsula, two on Galveston Island, one near Surfside in Brazoria County, two on Mustang Island, four on South Padre Island, and four on Boca Chica Beach.  Only one other Kemp’s ridley nest has been confirmed in the United States so far this year, in Perdido Key, Florida.

More nests were found in Texas during 2004 than in any other year since record keeping began.

For the first time in Texas, two arribadas were documented within a nesting season.  Kemp’s ridley turtles often nest in arribadas (aggregations where three or more turtles nest in a day). The first was on May 22, when six nests were found on the Texas coast (including four at the national seashore) and the second on June 5, when five nests were found (all at the national seashore).   

Eggs from 32 of the 40 Kemp’s ridley nests were collected for protected incubation in the turtle laboratory at Padre Island NS. Between 2,200 and 2,900 Kemp's ridley turtles are expected to hatch and be released at the park between May and August.

Kemp's ridley sea turtles are the most endangered sea turtles in the world. 

The species' primary nesting site is near Rancho Nuevo in Mexico. During the 1940's, an estimated 40,000 female Kemp's ridleys nested on this Mexican beach. During the 1970’s, the number of nesting Kemp's ridley turtles fell below one thousand. Measures to protect nesting Kemp’s ridley turtles and their eggs in Mexico began in 1966 and continue today.

Kemp’s ridley is a native nester at Padre Island NS, with nesting records dating back to the 1940’s.

In 1978, to help preserve the species, an international, multi-agency, experimental project started at Padre Island NS, to re-establish a secondary nesting colony of Kemp's ridley turtles. From 1978-1988, 22,507 eggs were transported from Mexico to Padre Island NS for incubation and imprinting. After exposure to the Padre Island NS sand and surf, most hatchlings from this effort were reared at the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Laboratory for 9-11 months and released into the Gulf of Mexico. 

Efforts to detect nesting Kemp’s ridley turtles have been underway at Padre Island NS since 1986. It is vital to locate nest sites so that the nesting turtles and their eggs are available for study and protection. Components of the detection effort have included beach patrols and public education.

Documentation to date shows that 13 different individuals from this project returned to nest in Texas, with a total of 23 nests recorded from these turtles. Three of these individuals were found nesting at Padre Island NS and nearby on Mustang Island during 2004. These turtles had been hatched from eggs incubated there in 1986, 1987, and 1988. Additionally, eight different individuals that had been taken directly from Mexico as hatchings between 1989 and 1993 and head-started for 9-11 months at the NMFS Laboratory have also been recorded producing a total of nine nests in Texas.

More confirmed Kemp’s ridley nests have been found at Padre Island NS than at any other single location in the United States, making it the most important nesting beach for this species in the United States.

Kemp’s ridley turtles nesting at Padre Island NS include individuals not affiliated with the experimental imprinting or head-starting projects (ie. wild turtles), head-started individuals from the experimental imprinting project, and head-started individuals that had been taken directly from Mexico as hatchlings.

Overall, the number of Kemp’s ridley nests found on the Texas coast has increased during the last decade (1995 - 4 nests, 1996 - 6 nests, 1997 - 9 nests, 1998 - 13 nests, 1999 - 16 nests, 2000 - 12 nests, 2001 - 8 nests, 2002 – 38 nests, 2003 – 19 nests, 2004-40 nests).

Hatchlings are about the size of a silver dollar and are black on top and bottom.

Adult Kemp's ridley turtles are olive green on top and creamy white on the bottom, weigh 80 to 100 pounds, and are approximately 2-1/2 feet in length.

Kemp's ridley turtles sexually mature in 10 to 15 years, and seek nesting sites at that time.

Unilever Home Products, Unilever Bestfoods, and the National Park Foundation are providing a grant of $15,000 to help support the Kemp's ridley sea turtle restoration and research program at Padre Island NS. This year’s grant marks the fifth consecutive year that the partnership has joined forces for a grant total of $90,000.

Unilever's support of the project will enable the park to enhance the turtle conservation and research effort significantly. The funds will be used to purchase safety, camping, and scientific equipment for the volunteers and employees so that they can patrol the beaches more thoroughly and efficiently. The grant will also help fund incubation boxes for the eggs that will be held in the hatching facility.

Partners cooperating in Texas nest detection and egg incubation efforts include (in alphabetical order) Forever Resorts, Gladys Porter Zoo, HEART/Sea Turtle Restoration Project, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Park Foundation, National Park Service, Norcross Wildlife Foundation, Alvin and Lucy Owsley Foundation, Seaspace, Sea Turtle, Inc., Shell Oil Company Foundation, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Unilever, University of Texas, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Western National Parks Association, and others.