Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii)

What They Look Like
Kemp's ridley turtles have paddle-like forelimbs with a claw on each flipper. Their shells are usually as wide as they are long. The male turtles have tails which extend well beyond their shells while the females have shorter tails. They are the smallest of the sea turtles, yet a Kemp's ridley may weigh up to 110 pounds.

Where to See Them
Kemp's ridleys generally prefer to stay near shore. They are found up to depths of 50 feet in temperate to sub-tropical waters off the Gulf of Mexico and the western Atlantic.

What They Eat
Their diet consists of benthic (ocean floor) organisms- primarily crab but also mollusks, fish, shrimp, and vegetation.

How They Nest
Reaching maturity around 11 to12 years of age, female Kemp's ridleys lay approximately three nests per year, with around 100 eggs per nest. These turtles are best known for their nesting rituals which are called arribadas (Spanish for "the arrived"). In this unique nesting behavior, thousands of females emerge together at the same nesting site each year to lay their eggs. The emergence of the turtles appears to be linked with the last quarter of the moon phase. In 1961, 40,000 female Kemp's ridley turtles emerged from the ocean at Rancho Nuevo, the only known major nesting site for this species, to lay eggs. However, by the late 1980's, only a few hundred adult females returned, demonstrating the population's dramatic decline.

Status and Threats
Kemp's ridley sea turtles, the smallest of the sea turtles in U.S. waters, are listed as endangered. They face extinction due to being caught in fishing gear and the harvesting of eggs for human consumption.