Texas Turtle Nest Update 9/24/2017

Today a new green turtle nest was located on the Texas coast, at Padre Island National Seashore.

KEMP'S RIDLEY TURTLE

This year, 353 Kemp’s ridley nests were confirmed on the Texas coast. This far surpasses the previous record of 209 Kemp’s ridley nests found in Texas during one year. The nests recorded in Texas during 2017 include (north to south in state):

3 Bolivar Peninsula

5 Galveston Island

0 Brazoria County, N. of Surfside 

3 Surfside Beach 

1 Quintana Beach 

0 Bryan Beach 

0 Brazoria County, N. of Sargent Beach 

0 Sargent Beach 

7 Matagorda Peninsula (area record)

0 Matagorda Island

3 San Jose Island

11 Mustang Island (area record)

8 North Padre Island north of Padre Island National Seashore

219 Padre Island National Seashore (area record)

70 South Padre Island (area record)

23 Boca Chica Beach (area record)

LOGGERHEAD TURTLE
So far this year, 9 nests have been confirmed on the Texas coast including (north to south in state):

1 Surfside Beach

1 San Jose Island

1 North Padre Island, north of Padre Island National Seashore

5 Padre Island National Seashore

1 South Padre Island

GREEN SEA TURTLE
So far this year, 28 nests have been confirmed on the Texas coast. This surpasses the previous record of 15 green turtle nests found during one year. The nests recorded in Texas during 2017 include (north to south in state):

22 Padre Island National Seashore (area record)

6 South Padre Island (area record)

Data presented here are preliminary. Do not cite or quote without permission. Contact Donna Shaver for further information.

Updates regarding nesting are also posted at the Padre Island National Seashore website:  https://www.nps.gov/pais/learn/nature/2017-nesting-season.htm