Endangered Sea Turtles Break Texas Nesting Record
Texas has logged 612 Kemp’s ridley sea turtle nests, according to the Turtle Island Restoration Network’s Texas coast nest count. That total already sits far above the 449 Kemp’s ridley nests counted and protected in Texas during 2025, a number federal wildlife officials described as a state record. The count places the 2026 season among the most closely watched wildlife stories on the Gulf Coast. It has placed renewed focus on beach patrol teams, park staff, researchers, permitted responders, volunteers, and coastal residents who help locate nests before tides, predators, or vehicles can reach them. Kemp’s ridley turtles are federally listed
