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Sea Turtle Inc. is celebrating a great start to the sea turtle nesting season with over 71 turtle nests in the first month of the season, which typically begins in April.
The nonprofit which has been protecting the Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle, a critically endangered species, for more than 47 years is now ahead of its historical pace for this nesting season.
Last year they released over 1,700 hatchlings on South Padre Island.
For Wendy Knight, chief executive officer at Sea Turtle Inc., the increase in nesting in the first month is an exciting and exhausting time as staff continues to patrol both SPI and Boca Chica.
“We are well ahead of our average nest count for this time of year so the season has really started off at a fast pace,” Knight said in a news release. “Our response team, volunteers, and interns are spending hours a day patrolling more than 50 miles of beach on South Padre Island and Boca Chica.
“Public calls about nesting sea turtles is a critical part of our work and something we really depend on from visitors this time of year.”
The nonprofit encourages anyone visiting the beach to help conserve the Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle species by removing all trash and belongings from the beach, filling holes dug in the sand and refraining from touching or approaching sea turtles.
They ask anyone who sees a turtle on the beach to call Sea Turtle Inc.’s 24-hour emergency phone at (956) 234-4361.
