PONCE INLET, Fla -- A rare Kemp’s ridley sea turtle was spotted on the beach Thursday, and based on photos, it's believed the nesting turtle was initially tagged in 2005, revisited Volusia County in 2010, 2012, twice in 2017, and yet again here in 2019.
The Kemp’s ridley, the smallest and most imperiled of all sea turtle species, is unique among species found in Florida in that it nests almost exclusively during daylight hours. Its primary breeding grounds are in Mexico, and very few nests have been documented in Florida.
"A record four Kemp’s ridley nests were documented on Volusia County beaches in 2017— one in Ormond Beach and three in Ponce Inlet," Volusia County spokeswoman Kate Stark told Headline Surfer. "Prior to 2017, Kemp’s ridley nesting records of two nests in a season were last documented in 2014 and 1996."
The Kemp’s ridley, the smallest and most imperiled of all sea turtle species, is unique among species found in Florida in that it nests almost exclusively during daylight hours. Its primary breeding grounds are in Mexico, and very few nests have been documented in Florida.
"A record four Kemp’s ridley nests were documented on Volusia County beaches in 2017— one in Ormond Beach and three in Ponce Inlet," Volusia County spokeswoman Kate Stark told Headline Surfer. "Prior to 2017, Kemp’s ridley nesting records of two nests in a season were last documented in 2014 and 1996."
So far this season, 58 nests have been documented in Volusia County, Stark added, including the Kemp’s ridley, one leatherback, and 56 loggerheads.
Sea turtle nesting season along Volusia County's 45-plus miles of beaches along the Atlantic runs from May 1 through Oct. 31.
For more information about Volusia County’s sea turtle program, residents and tourists alike are encouraged to please please call 386-238-4668 or online via www.volusiaseaturtles.org.