Distribution and population estimates for the Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle - Lepidochelys kempii

• Rookeries: 95% nest on 40kms of beach at Rancho Neuvo, Mexico.
• Range: Usually only in the Gulf of Mexico. Occasionally seen off the coasts of Europe and NW Africa. Possibly misidentifications with the olive ridley turtle, Lepidochelys olivacea
• Population: Difficult to estimate but population has crashed since 1947, when over 40,000 nested in Mexico. Laying population possibly less than a 1,000 but some positive trends. In 1997, 2,000 nest were recorded at Rancho Neuvo (Millan - 18th Symposium). Still the rarest of the 8 species of sea turtle.
• During 1998, roughly 3845 Kemp's ridley nests were tallied in Mexico - exact numbers are still being added up. Since each female is thought to lay an average of 2.3 clutches, it is likely that about 1671 turtles laid these clutches. Only a portion of adult Kemp's ridley females nest every year.

Email from Donna Shaver - PINS
Ed Jones (Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi, Texas) forwarded me a copy of some emails sent between the two of you. I am in charge of the Kemp's ridley project at Padre Island National Seashore and am the Texas Coordiantor of the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network.
During 1998, roughly 3845 Kemp's ridley nests were tallied in Mexico - exact numbers are still being added up. Since each female is thought to lay an average of 2.3 clutches, it is likely that about 1671 turtles laid these clutches. Only a portion of adult Kemp's ridley females nest every year.
From 1978-1988 an experimental project was conducted to enhance nesting by Kemp's ridley turtles at Padre Island National Seashore. It was thought that the establishment of a nesting colony here would provide a safeguard for the species, in case a catastrophe was to occur in Rancho Nuevo (the main nesting beach in Mexico). Kemp' s ridley nesting had already been documented at Padre Island National Seashore, but at low levels. During each year from 1995-1998, there was an increase in the number of Kemp's ridley nests found on the Texas coast. During 1998, 13 Kemp's ridley nests were found on the Texas coast, with 9 of those 13 at Padre Island National Seashore. Four of the 13 nests were from confirmed returnees from the experimental project (3 turtles); not all of the turtles were examined and some examined had no tags linking them to the project.

Best wishes.

Donna Shaver

Email from Edward Jones:

I read your information on the Kemp Ridley turtle since they nest on our island. It is largely accurate, but your population counts are a bit low. Due to the efforts of the Mexicans in Rancho Nuevo and the folks at the Padre Island National Seashore, the number nesting this year is much higher than then 2000 you mentioned for 1997. Also your geographical map only shows nesting on Rancho Nuevo. This year there were about 2000 hatchlings released from the Padre Island National Seashore, most Kemp's.. a few loggerheads and about 300 green's.
You might also be interested to know that in one of the passes that cuts through the island to Port Mansfield, for the past 3 years, there seems to be a permanate coloney of juvenile Kemp's. We are not sure why they like that area, but it has a good growth of algae on the rocks lining the pass.
Of course the number of nesting Kemp's is growing dramatically thanks to Rancho Nuevo and to Donna Schafer at PINS..
Do you know Donna? She is a good friend and neighbor of mine. Locally Donna is called "the turtle woman" since she is the person in charge of the nesting program at the Padre Island National Seashore. If you would like, we could get you some of the latest information and some pictures... the turtle releases are increasingly popular with the locals and tourists. Donna has just started an "adopt-a-turtle" program to educate and to raise funds to support her work.
I am conducting research on beach trash with John Miller (Donna's husband). We believe we have enough data to call for a ban on shrimping off the island, at least during turtle nesting season. Beach trash is a big problem on the island, and of course, a hazard to the turtles. We have many pictures of plastic cartons with turtle bites ;-)
All of this has caused great conflict between the shrimpers and the environmentalists in our area. Two years ago, this resulted in several turtles being mutilated and dumped onto the island (about 15 as I recall). The FBI has not been able to arrest anyone, yet, but their presence has stopped the turtle killings, for now. Things have gotten so bad, that John attends talks that Donna gives, fearing assaults from shrimpers. She has received a few threats.
Best wishes,

Edward R.Jones - Texas A&M Univ. Corpus Christi

Distribution main page

References used in distribution maps and population estimations. Agardy, T., Last Voyage of the Ancient Mariner p30-37, BBC Wildlife December 1992, Bjorndal, Karen A. (Editor), Biology and Conservation of Sea Turtles - (Smithsonian) 1995. (ISBN 1-56098-619-0) The FAO Species , Catalogue Vol.11. Sea Turtles of the World, 1990. (ISBN 92-5-102891-5) Lutz , P. L. and Musick, J. A., The Biology of Sea Turtles - (Marine Science Series )1996. (ISBN 0-8493-8422-2) National Research Council, Decline of the Sea Turtles , 1990. (ISBN 1-900455-005) Proceedings of the 15th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, 1995. Proceedings of the 18th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, 1998. Ripples, Jeff Sea Turtles: (World Life Library) 1996. (ISBN 0-309-04247-X