Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle

The Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii), also called the Atlantic ridley, is the smallest sea turtle species and is generally considered the most endangered. It is centered on the Gulf of Mexico, where nearly all nesting occurs on a single stretch of beach near Rancho Nuevo in Mexico, with juveniles later migrating into Atlantic coastal waters as far north as Cape Cod. Unlike other sea turtles it nests mainly by day, often in mass arribada gatherings. It feeds chiefly on crabs as an adult, along with mollusks, jellyfish, and fish, and the IUCN assesses it as Critically Endangered.