Kemp’s ridleys can be found in the shallow coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico and southern Atlantic where they find their favorite food – crabs. Like all sea turtles, this sea turtle swims to the surface every few minutes to breath.
This species mainly inhabits the Gulf of Mexico where almost the entire Kemp’s ridley sea turtle population nests along the coast of the state of Tamaulipasan, just south of the U.S./Mexico border in an area called Rancho Nuevo.
The Kemp’s ridley is the only sea turtle to nest during the day! With only about 1,000 breeding females today, this rare species is actively protected by both the United States and Mexico and is successfully making a slow recovery.
The Kemp’s ridley turtle populations have drastically declined since the 1940’s due to the effects of man – man harvesting both the eggs and turtles, shrimp trawlers catching them in their nets, boat propellers, fishing entanglements, pollution (ingested plastics), coastal development, red tide, beach activities like cleaning vehicles, drive-on locations, and oil spills. Sharks are also a threat to this turtle as they are their only natural predator.