(Article from the Corpus Christi Caller-Times of April 28, 2004)

The first local Kemp's ridley sea turtle nest of the year was found Monday south of Big Shell Beach on Padre Island National Seashore.

The nest of 113 eggs was found by seashore biological technician Jennifer Shelby at the 51-mile marker - 51 miles south of the end of the paved road inside the park, said Donna Shaver, a federal biologist who oversees the state's Kemp's ridley sea turtle program.

This is the fifth Kemp's ridley sea turtle nest found in the United States this year. Two were found in the Galveston area, one was found in the South Padre Island area and another was found in Boca Chica Beach in the Valley, Shaver said.

All of the eggs are harvested for incubation, and about 85 percent will hatch into baby turtles, Shaver said.