South Padre Island, Texas

Record Nesting Season Expected

April is when female sea turtles begin swimming ashore to lay their eggs, usually around 100, before they turn around and head back to the water. Jeff George, Sea Turtle, Inc. curator, said finding four nests this early in the season isn't highly common, so he's anticipating an uptick of nests this year.

"The Kemp's Ridley turtles lay eggs in broad daylight, and they like to come when it's windy because it obscures their tracks and scent," George said. "When we saw the forecast for high winds this weekend, we threw out more patrols."

Sea Turtle, Inc., a non-profit organization, is responsible for helping out sea turtles for a 50-mile stretch, which includes South Padre Island and Boca Chica Beach.

The reason they look out for, then pick up, the sea turtle eggs is because poaching is a concern. They also hope to save the eggs from natural predators, such as coyotes, which can find the nests and eat the eggs before the babies can hatch.

Since the Kemp's Ridley mothers like to lay eggs during the day, there's a high probability beach-goers could see them, George said.

"They're going to see the female, not the nest most likely because that's harder to see," he said. "One of the nests we went to Saturday was reported by a family on the beach who saw the momma come out."

If you do see a turtle on the beach, George said there are three main points to be aware of.

The first is to call Sea Turtle, Inc. to report the nest. If it's after-hours, the call will be forwarded to a staff member's phone.

Staying away from the female turtles is key, George said, as they can be easily scared away and will head back into the Gulf. While it may seem like the perfect photo moment, George said to stand back, though photos are OK once the female is making her way back to the water, as long her path isn't interrupted.

Finally, George said finding a way to safely mark near where the nest is will help the Sea Turtle, Inc. workers locate it later.

As always, the public is invited to join the releases of the baby turtles, which typically hatch 50 days after they are laid. George expects the first release will probably happen around June 5. Anyone interested in finding out more information can call Sea Turtle, Inc. at 956-761-4511.

To read the Brownsville Herald article please click here.

Contact Us