. What is going on? Three Kemp’s ridley turtles have been discovered on UK beaches in the past two months. These turtles are the most rare on Earth and they live thousands of miles away from the Gulf of Mexico. Why were they so far from their natural habitat in the Gulf of Mexico? According to biologists, there is only one ,000 female Kemp’s ridley turtle left. They are not free to roam around in a huge aquarium at home. The two northernmost of them were discovered in England. Ben Read, a Devon Coast resident, found the third one several hundred miles south. They would have been closer if someone had let them go. Kemp’s ridley turtles shouldn’t be found on British beaches. They are thousands of miles away from their native habitat. (Image via Wikimedia. Kemp’s ridley turtles are sometimes seen farther up the US coast. They can be found as far as New Jersey. However, they rarely appear on other sides of the Atlantic. He found the latest Kemp’s ridley turtle while walking along Green Cliff Beach, close to Abbotsham, Devon. A friend, who was a student in marine biology, called him to inform him that he believed he had found a tropical, rare specimen. He took the carcass of the dead animal home, and placed it in his freezer. He said that he knew right away when I explained the markings to him, it was a Kemp’s ridley. The turtles are from Mexico and they are very rare. Two more Kemp’s ridleys sea turtles were discovered in northern England. The one on Walney Island in Cumbria and the second near Formby, Merseyside. They were both alive at the time of their discovery, but they have died since then. This turtle was unable to be saved because it refused to eat and would not eat. Photo: Lake District Coast Aquarium. The turtle discovered in Merseyside was killed shortly after it was found. The other turtle, however, survived at Lake District Coast Aquarium Mayport. It refused to eat and eventually died. Kemp’s sea turtle is endangered. Also known as the Atlantic ridley turtle, the Kemp’s sea turtle (Lepidochelys Kempii) is one of the most rare sea turtles on Earth. Their numbers declined due to hunting in the 20th Century. Their survival today is threatened by pollution, loss of habitat and entanglement with shrimping nets. Many protection organizations today urge fishermen to use turtle excluders, which allow the turtles to escape the net. The 1960s declared the turtle protected by the Mexican government. Under the Endangered Species Conservation Act, 1970, the US also followed their lead. Biologists recently reported that there has been an increase in turtle nest sightings on the Texan coast. This is encouraging. South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program. The Aquarium’s cornerstone conservation programme, the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program, marks today as the 151st release of a sea turtle. Six sea turtles including one green turtle and five Kemp’s ridleys will now be released into the ocean at Cape Canaveral National Seashore, Florida. Sea Turtle Rescue reports that the turtles are part of an unprecedented cold-stun event on New England’s coasts in November. The turtles were taken on a private flight from Charleston to Charleston, generously donated and owned by Will Dorminy and Margie Dorminy.
