Kemp's ridley sea turtle

켐프각시바다거북

Kemp's ridley is the smallest and rarest sea turtle. Its round grey-olive shell is about 65 cm long, and it lives mainly in the Gulf of Mexico. It is famous for the 'arribada', when many females nest together on Mexican beaches in daylight.

See it on the 3D globe →

At a glance

Class: Reptiles
Lives in: Gulf of Mexico and the northwest Atlantic coast, nesting at Rancho Nuevo, Mexico
Diet: Meat eater (carnivore)
Weight: about 40 kg
Length: about 0.65 m
Conservation status: Critically Endangered (IUCN CR)
Habitat: coasts

Quick answers

Where does the Kemp's ridley sea turtle live?

It lives in coasts of the Atlantic Ocean. On the globe you can find it near Gulf of Mexico and the northwest Atlantic coast, nesting at Rancho Nuevo, Mexico.

How big is the Kemp's ridley sea turtle?

It grows to about 0.65 m and 40 kg.

What does the Kemp's ridley sea turtle eat?

Its diet: meat eater (carnivore).

Is the Kemp's ridley sea turtle endangered?

It is listed as Critically Endangered (IUCN CR).

Kemp's ridley is the smallest and rarest of the world's sea turtles. Its carapace, the upper shell, is oval and nearly as wide as it is long, and it is usually olive-grey. At maturity it is 58 to 70 centimetres long and weighs only 36 to 45 kilograms.

It lives mostly in the Gulf of Mexico, but young turtles and some adults travel into the Atlantic. The species is critically endangered (the status used on this globe) and is listed as endangered under the United States Endangered Species Act. Human activity, such as habitat loss, climate change and oil spills, threatens it.

The turtle that nests in daylight

Kemp's ridley is the only sea turtle that nests during the day. As the card explains, females come ashore together in huge groups called arribadas on beaches in Mexico, with Rancho Nuevo as the best-known site. Hatchlings are almost entirely dark purple, while adults have a grey-green shell and a yellow-green or white underside. Its head is triangular with a slightly hooked beak and big crushing surfaces.

Name and risks

The turtle is named for Richard Moore Kemp of Key West, the first to send a specimen to Samuel Garman at Harvard; where the word ridley comes from is unknown. Fishermen once called it the heartbreak turtle, claiming turned-over turtles died of a broken heart. Warmer seas are widening its range, which exposes it to sudden cold snaps. Conservation work aims to rebuild its numbers.

Fun facts

It is the smallest sea turtle, and females come ashore together in mass nestings called 'arribadas'.
It is the world's smallest sea turtle.
It is the only sea turtle that nests by day.
It is named after Richard Moore Kemp, who sent the first specimen to Harvard.