Tamaulipas reports a strong nesting season for the world’s rarest sea turtle

The 2026 turtle season in Tamaulipas is off to a solid start as authorities in the Gulf Coast state recorded more than 207,000 Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle eggs at the various protected camps along the shoreline.

According to an official report from the Tamaulipas Parks and Biodiversity Commission (CPBT), 2,307 nests and 207,251 eggs were recorded as of May 5 during the current season, which generally runs from April through August.

These conservation and protection efforts are part of the state’s official environmental policy aimed at protecting biodiversity and preserving species in their natural environment.

The policy includes the surveillance of, monitoring of and protection of the nests, so as to guarantee the reproduction and survival of the emblematic Kemp’s ridley sea turtle on the Tamaulipas coast.

The Kemp’s Ridley is the rarest species of sea turtle and is the world’s most endangered. It is also the smallest sea turtle species with adults typically weighing only 75–100 pounds (35–45 kg) and measuring about 2 feet (60–70 cm) in shell length.

In order to prevent egg looting, authorities have implemented 24-hour surveillance protocols. The round-the-clock observation will also serve to protect females during the spawning process, while also ensuring that the reproductive cycle is completed without interference from humans or natural predators in conservation centers.

Protecting these nests is vital for the survival of the species, since the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle is the only sea turtle that nests during the day and does so in large groups, known as arribadas.

The commission’s report says the Altamira camp has the highest number of recorded nests, with 812 nests and 71,495 eggs. The Tepehuajes camp has 533 nests and 47,445 eggs. There are 497 nests and 45,170 eggs at the Ciudad Madero camp; 418 nests and 38,746 eggs at the La Pesca camp; 34 nests and 3,214 eggs at the Playa Bagdad camp; and 13 nests and 1,181 eggs at the Mezquital camp.

The egg count was carried out by monitors — technicians and volunteers from the Secretariat of Urban Development and Environment — who indicated that the massive arrival of the turtles occurred favorably last month.

CPBT spokesman Eduardo Rocha Orozco described the egg count as “extremely positive for the biodiversity of the region.”

With reports from CPS Noticias and La Jornada

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