Experts Find 200th Kemp’s Ridley Turtle Nest On Texas Coast

Conservation is a very important issue in the coastal bend. Not just conservation of the land or our lifestyle, but conservation of the numerous species that inhabit this beautiful part of our state. You hear a lot about the whooping crane and other endangered species, but you might not have heard much about Kemp's Ridley turtle.

Experts have confirmed the discovery of a record 200th Kemp's ridley endangered sea turtle nest along the Texas coast. Donna Shaver with Padre Island National Seashore says some visitors located the nest Sunday. Shaver says a turtle patrol worker in April spotted tracks in the area where the 200th nest was found, but couldn't locate the nest. The area had been marked and was being monitored.

The Corpus Christi Caller-Times (http://bit.ly/KWIxOo ) reported Monday that the finding tops last year's 199 nests. Shaver says it's the highest number of Kemp's ridley nests located annually in the area since record keeping began in the early 1980s.

Shaver says windy conditions expected later this week would be favorable for nesting.