Sea turtle nesting season has officially begun in Texas with an exciting early start. A Kemp’s ridley sea turtle nest, marking the second-earliest ever documented in the state, was discovered on April 2 by turtle patrollers from Nueces County Coastal Parks. The nesting turtle came ashore before sunrise and successfully laid 75 eggs before returning to the Gulf of Mexico.
This milestone represents the second year that Nueces County Coastal Parks (NCCP) has actively patrolled North Padre Island beaches. Beachgoers are likely to see NCCP teams working during this period from the south Packery Channel Jetty to the boundary of Padre Island National Seashore. Patrollers monitor the beach for sea turtle activities, collect data from nesting turtles, and relocate nests to protected areas to improve survival rates.
Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are critically endangered, making public awareness and cooperation important for their protection…