One of world's most critically endangered turtles found near Houston, fighting for survival

A critically endangered sea turtle was found fighting for her life on a Texas beach.

The adult female Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, which is considered the rarest sea turtle on the planet, was discovered lethargic and struggling near Galveston’s Beach Pocket Park # 3 early Saturday morning.

Her shell was covered heavily with barnacles, algae, and moss.

She was reported by a beachgoer via a statewide turtle rescue hotline. Immediately after reporting, the responders from the Gulf Centre for Sea Turtle Research (GCSTR) arrived. They found her distressed, barely moving beneath the thick layer of epibionts.

Director of the GCSTR, Christopher Marshall, stated that: “Healthy sea turtles are swimming sea turtles.”

“Sea turtles that slow down their swimming due to health issues are quickly colonised by organisms in the water. This can turn into a positive feedback loop; the extra weight causes the turtle to slow down further, which allows epibionts to grow,” he added.

The rescue team took the turtle to the Houston Zoo for an emergency veterinary assessment before being transferred to the GCSTR’s rehabilitation hospital, where she remained in a critical condition.

Kemp's Ridleys, the official state sea turtle of Texas, are endangered under the Endangered Species Act, with only 22,300 estimated adult individuals left in the wild. 

The primary nesting areas for Kemp's Ridleys are along the western Gulf of Mexico, with the highest number of nests occurring at the Padre Island National Seashore, the highest number of nests in the country.