Turtle Patrol: Endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle numbers rising

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND - Kemp's ridley sea turtle nests are in great numbers this year.

Although turtle nesting season continues well into July, there have already been at least 50 Kemp's ridley and one Atlantic green sea turtle nests recovered this year - as opposed to an overall 23 nests Sea Turtle Inc., a nonprofit conservation organization, gathered on South Padre Island in 2007.

Among the nests, eggs in at least 17 have hatched. Eggs in another dozen nests are expected to hatch within the first few days of July.

The number of hatchlings released this year have reached at least 1,350, according to Sea Turtle Inc., which releases the nestlings into the Gulf of Mexico.

Kemp's ridley sea turtles are an endangered species.

Another rare turtle, the Atlantic green turtle, is also creating a stir on the Island.

The Atlantic green's nest contained 99 eggs and was the first documented Atlantic green nest this year and only the second on the Island since modern record-keeping began. The first Atlantic green nest for the Island was found last season.

However, historical records indicate, however, that the Atlantic green nested on the Island some 100 to 200 years ago.

Don Arendarczyk, a new Island resident originally from Chicago, found the larger Atlantic green's tracks in the sand while on patrol for Sea Turtle Inc.

The green's golf-ball-size eggs are larger than the ping-pong-ball-size eggs of the Kemp's ridley.

"We had an Atlantic green nest here (June 25),"

said Jeff George of Sea Turtle Inc. "We're very excited about it. We can certainly attribute this unusual nesting to our turtle recovery operation."