The Kemp′s ridley turtle is the smallest and rarest sea turtle in the world. Despite their size, these turtles undertake remarkable migrations through the Gulf of Mexico and Northern Atlantic Ocean.
Kemp′s ridley sea turtles are the smallest of all sea turtle species, growing to about 55 to 75 centimeters (22 to 30 inches) in length and weighing up to 50 kilograms (110 pounds). They have a nearly circular, gray-green shell and a pale-yellow underside. These turtles are mostly found in the Gulf of Mexico and along the U.S. East Coast, favoring shallow waters with sandy or muddy bottoms. Using their slightly hooked beak, they eat a variety of foods — crabs, shrimp, jellyfish, mollusks, and even vegetation.
Though they spend most of their lives in solitude, Kemp′s ridleys do gather in large numbers for one reason: to nest. Like their close relatives, olive ridley turtles, these turtles will nest in a large, synchronized group called an arribada. Scientists believe that nesting together like this may be a defense against predators, as it produces enough hatchlings at once to overwhelm predators and therefore increase their survival. Unlike all other sea turtle species, Kemp′s ridley turtles often nest during the day. Once hatchlings are born, they immediately enter the water, and as juvenile turtles will spend their first year or two amongst Sargassum, a type of seaweed, in the Atlantic Ocean, before settling into coastal areas as they grow.