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KEMP'S RIDLEY SEA TURTLE

you're turtle-y going to love him

KEMP'S RIDLEY SEA TURTLE

you're turtle-y going to love him

kemp’s ridley sea turtles

Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are unique among sea turtles! They are the smallest species and the most endangered. They have the most limited range of all sea turtles and the roundest shells. Even the way they nest is special! Females gather together on beaches over a couple of days to next during daylight hours. This is completely different from other species of sea turtles who nest individually at night.  This makes them particularly susceptible to predators and egg harvesting.

Lepidochelys kempii

  • Diet: Crabs, fish, jellyfish, mollusks
  • Range: Gulf of Mexico into the Atlantic along the East Coast of the United States
  • Conservation: Critically Endangered

 

meet squirt

The Aquarium is home to a non-releasable Kemp’s ridley sea turtle named Squirt. We are proud to provide a second chance at life for this animal who would not be able to survive on his own out in the ocean. 

Rescued:  April 29, 2015

Where: Peace River in Punta Gorda, Florida 

Why: He was seen floating in the river with old wounds from a boat propeller that were still healing.

Squirt was deemed non-releasable because his injuries, which impacted much of his left side, left him blind in his left eye and affected his jaw mobility, which is essential for catching and eating prey.