Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle
Lepidochelys kempii

Geographical Distribution:

• Restricted and now rare.
• Adults largely confined to the Gulf of Mexico.
• Juveniles reach N. European Coasts and Atlantic Coast of W Africa.
• Mostly found off E. USA Coast.
• In the 1940s, 40,000 females would congregate in ‘arribagones’ (see glossary) on one beach in the Western Central Gulf of Mexico.
• In 1989, there were less than 700 per season.