The Sea Turtle of Padre Island

The Kemp’s Ridley turtle is the smallest and most endangered marine sea turtle in the world and has become the beloved mascot of the Padre Island National Seashore in Texas. In 1978, the United States government actually financed a program to move the turtle from its Mexican origins to Texas in order to bring back its rapidly declining population. The program has been successful and in 2002 there were 32 nests. But these numbers are still dangerously low and the turtle population remains highly endangered. Ironically, today the U.S. government is putting this tiny turtle at even greater risk, as it becomes the latest target in the Bush administration’s environmental backlash on protected lands.

In November 2002, the U.S. National Park Service granted a permit for natural gas drilling on Padre Island National Seashore, a plan that will have irreversible and damaging environmental impacts on the sea turtle and on one of the United States few national seashores.

SEA TURTLE FACTS:

The Kemp’s Ridley turtle spends most of its life on the open ocean and they nest on sandy and undisturbed beaches. The nesting season for the sea turtle is from April to September. The mother buries her eggs in shallow holes in the sand. Because of their highly endangered status, National Park Service collects the eggs and incubates them in a protected area. After they hatch, the hatchlings are released on the beach in a tradition that is enjoyed by visitors from all over the world. These hatchlings can fit into the palm of your hand and are about the size of a silver dollar.

THE IMPACTS OF OIL AND GAS DRILLING ON THE TURTLE

• Scientists believe that the hatchlings "imprint" a particular smell, chemical make-up or magnetic location of beach where they have hatched. This "imprint" is extremely important for helping the turtles return to their nest. The excessive noise pollution caused by construction, truck traffic and drilling can interfere with the delicate imprint process.

• The Kemp’s Ridley turtle lays its eggs in the sand. These eggs are very fragile and are easily damaged by moving or even touching them. Drilling construction would require large 18-wheeler trucks for transporting supplies. These eggs are difficult to see on foot and almost impossible to see from a large 18-wheeler truck. In addition these trucks moving on the beach could crush both hatchlings and eggs.

• The baby turtles are so tiny they could get stuck in the tracks created by the 18-wheeler trucks. In addition the trucks compact the sand making it difficult for mother turtles to dig up their nests and for the baby turtles to emerge when they hatch.

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Take Action! Write the Secretary of the Interior, Gale Norton, demanding she revoke BNP Petroleum's drilling permit. Our online form makes it easy!

Padre Island Claymation Video! Help spread the word! BNP Petroleum's drilling project on the Padre Island National Seashore will require huge trucks such as 18-wheelers to make 20 trips a day up and down the beach. The damage this can cause to the seashore is just one of the byproducts of drilling that puts Kemp's Ridley sea turtle at a serious risk of extinction.