This is the first time in modern history the Kemp's ridley sea turtle has hatched on Magnolia Beach in Calhoun County, experts say.
A conservation success hatched Monday on the shores of Magnolia Beach in Calhoun County, Texas. A sea turtle nest containing approximately 45 hatching Kemp’s ridley eggs was discovered, and turtles successfully made their way to the water.
“This has never happened in modern times,” said Pamela Plotkin, director of Texas Sea Grant and sea turtle biologist. “Sea turtles typically nest on barrier island beaches in Texas, and so seeing a turtle nest on a beach inside any bay is rare. There are many miles of unpopulated bay shoreline along Texas’ coast, so it is possible that sea turtle nesting on these shores is more frequent and undetected.”
For sea turtles, the period after hatching is a fight for survival. In their first moments of life, hatchlings must quickly race from their nests in the sand to the water, avoiding predators, poaching, pollution and other hazards.
Eggs left on the beach only have a 45 percent chance of hatching, which is why intervention from conservationists can be critical.
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