TEXAS – If you like wildlife, there is good news.
A record number of Kemp’s ridley sea turtle nests were found along the Texas coast in April 2026.
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According to the Turtle Island Restoration Network, this comes on the heels of last year’s largest observed nesting season yet with a total of 449 nests documented last year.
This April, a total of 172 Kemp’s ridley sea turtle nests were found along the Texas coast.
The network says as of May 4, 202 nests have been found along the coast with the majority being along the Padre Island National Seashore.
Here is a breakdown of all the nests documented so far this year:
- Galveston Island - 4
- San Jose Island - 5
- Mustang Island - 15
- North Padre Island & National Seashore - 115
- South Padre Island - 56
- Boca Chica Beach - 7
While nests are being found for Kemp’s ridley sea turtles, no nests have been found so far belonging to loggerhead sea turtles, green sea turtles, or leatherback sea turtles.
Sea turtles make their way to beaches in Texas and Mexico every April, May and June to lay their nests.