Current Sea Turtle Nesting Season

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2019 Nesting Season

 

Sea turtle eggs hatch underneath the sand over a period of 1-4 days, making it difficult to predict when they will be ready for release. The sand sinking indicates the eggs are in the process of hatching. NPS Photo.

PROJECTED RELEASE DATES FOR KEMP’S RIDLEY SEA TURTLE NESTS HELD IN THE INCUBATION FACILITY AT PADRE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE – 2019


Public releases of Kemp’s ridley hatchlings at Padre Island National Seashore are over for this year. We held 25 public releases and 16,082 people attended. We greatly appreciate the assistance of the public with our efforts during 2019, and their heart-warming enthusiasm, support, and interest during our public hatchling releases. Please look again next year, 2020, with public hatchling releases starting in late-May or early-June, depending on when we locate the first nests of the year.

 

A female Kemp's ridley sea turtle nesting on the beaches of Padre Island.

NPS photo.

Kemp's ridley nests found in Texas in 2019

Bolivar Peninsula	3
Galveston Island	4
Brazoria County, north of Surfside	0
Surfside Beach	6
Quintana Beach	0
Bryan Beach	0
Brazoria County, North of Sargent Beach	0
Sargent Beach	0
Matagorda Peninsula	3
Matagorda Island	0
San Jose Island	2
Mustang Island	8
Corpus Christi Bay	0
North Padre Island, North of PAIS	8
Padre Island National Seashore (PAIS)	110
South Padre Island	40
Boca Chica Beach	6
Total*	190

 

A large disturbed nest area and tracks are made when loggerhead sea turtles nested on Padre Island. NPS Photo.

Loggerhead nests found in Texas in 2019

Galveston Island	0
Surfside Beach	0
Matagorda Peninsula	0
San Jose Island	1
North Padre Island, North of PAIS	1
Padre Island National Seashore (PAIS)	3
South Padre Island	3
Total*	8

* Data presented here are preliminary. Do not cite or quote without permission. Contact Dr. Donna Shaver for further information.

 

These tracks were left behind by a green sea turtle that nested on Padre Island.

NPS Photo.

Green nests found in Texas in 2019

North Padre Island, North of PAIS	0
Padre Island National Seashore (PAIS)	11
South Padre Island	0
Total*	11

* Data presented here are preliminary. Do not cite or quote without permission. Contact Dr. Donna Shaver for further information.