Sea Turtle Nesting Numbers on the Upper Texas Coast

2025 Sea Turtle Nesting Season

KEMP'S RIDLEY TURTLE   
RECORD BREAKING NESTING! On 6 June 2025, the number of Kemp's ridley nests found on the Texas coast this year (357) surpassed the previous annual record number of nests (353) set in 2017! Systematic record keeping for sea turtle nests located in Texas began in 1980. 

So far this year, 447 nests have been confirmed on the Texas coast including (north to south in state):       

2 Galveston Island           

4 Surfside Beach       

1 Quintana Beach        

1 Bryan Beach        

2 Brazoria County, N. of Sargent Beach              

1 Matagorda Peninsula     

21 San Jose Island       

29 Mustang Island       

249 North Padre Island, including 235 at Padre Island National Seashore       

123 South Padre Island       

14 Boca Chica Beach        

       

LOGGERHEAD TURTLE   
So far this year, 5 nests have been confirmed on the Texas coast, including (north to south in state): 

1 Mustang Island 

4 North Padre Island, including 4 at Padre Island National Seashore 

       

GREEN TURTLE   
So far this year, 16 nests have been confirmed on the Texas coast, including (north to south in state): 

13 North Padre Island, including 11 at Padre Island National Seashore 

3 South Padre Island 

       

Data presented are preliminary and subject to change with detection of additional nests and change of species identification when hatchlings are examined.      

Do not cite or quote without permission. Contact Dr. Donna Shaver for background and updates.