Current Sea Turtle 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.

 

Learn and Explore

2021 Nesting Season

The 2021 Kemp’s ridley nesting season has started! At this time, Park Officials are currently determining whether hatchling releases will be open to the public for the 2021 season. We greatly appreciate your support and interest in our work and look forward to resuming public releases as conditions and guidance allows. Please check this page and our Facebook Page for information on upcoming hatchling releases.

Note: not all hatchling releases are public and public releases do not occur every day. For answers to frequently asked questions and tips for increasing your chances of seeing a hatchling release this summer, check out our page on Hatchling Releases.

Quick links

• Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles
• Hatchling Releases
• How to See a Sea Turtle
• Report a Nesting or Stranded Turtle
• What Does the Yellow Turtle Flag Mean?
• Volunteer With Us!

 

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

NPS photo.

Kemp's ridley nests found in Texas in 2020

Bolivar Peninsula	0
Galveston Island	1
Brazoria County, north of Surfside	1
Surfside Beach	6
Quintana Beach	0
Bryan Beach	1
Brazoria County, North of Sargent Beach	0
Sargent Beach	0
Matagorda Peninsula	1
Matagorda Island	0
San Jose Island	18
Mustang Island	13
Corpus Christi Bay	0
North Padre Island, North of PAIS	7
Padre Island National Seashore (PAIS)	136
South Padre Island	72
Boca Chica Beach	6
Total*	262

 

A loggerhead sea turtle nesting at Padre Island National Seashore.

NPS Photo.

Loggerhead nests found in Texas in 2020

Brazoria County, N. of Surfside	1
Surfside Beach	0
Matagorda Peninsula	0
Mustang Island	0
North Padre Island, North of PAIS	0
Padre Island National Seashore (PAIS)	2
South Padre Island	0
Total*	3

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 Do not cite or quote without permission.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

 

A green sea turtle nesting at the base of the dunes at Padre Island National Seashore.

NPS Photo.

Green nests found in Texas in 2020

Mustang Island	1
North Padre Island, North of PAIS	1
Padre Island National Seashore (PAIS)	27
South Padre Island	7
Total*	36

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 Do not cite or quote without permission.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

 

LEARN MORE
Main Sea Turtle Page
Division of Sea Turtle Sciences and Recovery
Volunteer With Us!