Two years ago, the first nesting on the upper Texas coast wasn't until the end of May.
- Carole Allen, longtime Houston sea turtle preservationist
Enough of politics. Today I'm going to write about something truly amazing- something that has been around longer than you or me- or even politics. I'm referring, of course, to the Kemp's ridley sea turtle. I've always been fascinated by turtles. There are quite a few in the lake in our backyard, and every now and then I'll actually see one in our backyard. Generally speaking, though, they (wisely) keep to themselves and we only get to enjoy them from a distance. The Kemp's ridley sea turtle takes this reclusiveness even farther, which is what makes this story even more surprising.
On Monday, a female Kemp's ridley laid a clutch of 85 eggs at the foot of the seawall near 29th & Seawall Boulevard in Galveston. This is noteworthy for a couple reasons. One, it's the earliest recorded nesting on the Texas coast. Two, it's also the first recorded nesting at the foot of Galveston's seawall. Galveston's beach along Seawall Blvd. is not a stretch of beach one could reasonably characterize as quiet or serene. During good weather, it's very heavily populated, which is something any good turtle will generally want to avoid.
So, you may ask, what is the big deal about some butt-ugly sea turtle with a face only a mother could love? Well, the fact that they're a protected species is a good start. In 1947, more than 40,000 nests were counted on a Mexican beach near Rancho Nuevo, which is the only known large Kemp's ridley nesting ground. Twenty-five years later, that number was down to about 300. It was at about that time that the Mexican government recognized the situation and began protecting the beach. Better late than never, eh?
Another point worth mentioning is that Kemp's ridleys are HUGE. These aren't just turtles- these are four-legged wheel covers. I've never seen one in person, but I've always wanted to have the opportunity. There's something about the combination of size, ritual, routine, and reclusiveness that absolutely fascinates me. This is reason enough to make certain that the Kemp's ridley is not allowed to slide into extinction.
It's true, I suppose, that the Kemp's ridley sea turtle is "ugly",but they do have their own special beauty. Few species are more indicative of the cyclical nature of life than these turtles. It's a never-ending cycle, as immutable and unchanging as the nature of time itself. On Monday, we got a taste of this here on the Redneck Riviera. I hope that we will all be able to fully appreciate the significance of this event.
