While out enjoying sun and sand on area beaches, keep an eye out for sea turtles, say the park rangers at the Padre Island National Seashore. With sea turtle nesting season in full swing, people should report any turtles or nests to the national park, which relocates and nurtures nests of eggs until they hatch and can be released into the surf. The number to call at the seashore's headquarters is 361-949-8173.
The National Seashore has been instrumental in the recovery of the Kemp's ridley sea turtle, which was near extinction. Dr. Donna Shaver, a ranger at the park, was recently honored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a 2013 Endangered Species Recovery Champion for her efforts to bring back the Kemp's ridley.
"Our knowledge of the endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle has been expanded thanks to Recovery Champion Dr. Donna Shaver," said the national park in a statement this week. "She has helped protect the nesting beaches on which this species relies, increased its numbers and provided citizens with an opportunity to help in its recovery."
Similar awards were given to four teams and 13 individuals around the country for work to conserve species ranging from the polar bear and the Sonoran pronghorn to the Indiana bat and the Kemp's ridley sea turtle.
Nesting season under way
Nesting season for sea turtles runs from early spring until late July or August. As the site of the largest nesting ground for Kemp's ridleys, the National Seashore has made sea turtle conservation a central focus of its purpose and programs. In fact, the visitors center at the seashore is a replica of a nesting turtle, including a model of the nest as seen under the sand.
Staff and volunteers continually comb the beach for trash that many of the turtles mistake for food, causing them injury. During nesting season in the spring, human helpers elsewhere in the region seek out nesting turtles and move them to the Padre Island National Seashore nesting facility. There, the turtles — along with 380 species of birds — can be better protected from natural hazards like hot tidal surges, predatory crabs, raccoons and other threats.
Volunteer efforts are always encouraged during the Kemp's ridleys' nesting season in early spring through July. After the hatchlings emerge, the seashore initiates public release dates during the late spring and summer months. The public releases allow people to watch the hatchlings crawl down the beach and swim out into the ocean for the first time. For release dates, call the Hatchling Hotline at 361-949-7163 or visit the turtle's Facebook page.
