Who am I?
How Many Are Left?
There are only about 22,341 adult Kemp Ridley’s alive today (ICUN, 2021). Luckily, our population is increasing, but we are still by far the most endangered type of turtle. We earn a score of 5 by the National Marine Fisheries Service, which means we have a moderate threat, but can be recovered relatively easily. It also means we have some conflict with economical activities. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service scores us as a 2C, meaning we have a high threat and high recovery potential. It also means we have the potential to conflict with construction and development or other things benefiting the economy. We used to have much higher population numbers, but because of a bunch of reasons we are now endangered (read more about the reasons for endangerment HERE).
Why Am I Important In History and In Different Cultures?
We have a spiritual and cultural significance for many cultures. Losing us will mean losing a critical part of so many cultures. By preserving our population, we will also be preserving their culture. We are the official sea turtle of Texas and we represent “creation, endurance, determination, strength, stability, longevity, fertility, and innocence.” (University of Houston Downtown) These many forms of symbolism that the communities around our habitat have created are a representation of our resilience. We should be able to survive well on our own but our habitat is at significant risk of extinction due to anthropogenic causes, such as climate change, oil and gas drilling, poaching, and the fishing industry. All of these threats are further discussed under the why am I endangered tab of the website.
What Does My Reproductive Process Look Like?
We reproduce every one to three years. We travel as a group in an arribada (arrival by sea) and nest sometime in April through July. We nest in groups like this to protect ourselves and our babies. Another protection tactic we use is nesting during the day instead of at night, which lowers the chances of us and our babies getting killed. Each nesting season we lay 2-3 clutches. The females dig their nest chambers which nest around 100 eggs. Then, they incubate the eggs for 50-60 days (NOAA, 2021).
What Do I Eat?
We have a pretty wide diet. We eat all kinds of shellfish, jellyfish, seaweed, and sargassum. Though we eat all these things, our favorite is crab (National Geographic, 2021). See figure 1 for the full food web.
