The Kemp’s ridley nesting season on Texas beaches and Mexico’s beaches has concluded. In a nutshell, the exciting news from Mexico is that 21,144 nests were found with one million hatchlings released into the Gulf of Mexico. You can get more information at http:///www.seaturtle.org/PDF’BurchfieldPM_2009_ReportontheMexicoUnitedStatesofAmer.pdf
It is important to remember that each female Kemp’s ridley usually nests twice during the season and some nest three times which complicates the math on just how many ridley females are nesting each year. In addition, biologists vary on just how many of the one million hatchlings will survive to become adults. The numbers one of a thousand seem to be accepted, but with one million hatchlings making it to the surf, we can look for increasing numbers in the future.
The staff and all those who work at the Mexican beach nesting sites are to be congratulated for another year of hard work.
