Sea Turtle Teaching Tip 1

Q: How many sea turtle species can be found in the Gulf of Mexico, and what are they called?

A: There are 5 species: Kemp's Ridley, Green, Leatherback, Loggerhead, and Hawksbill.

Sea Turtle Teaching Tip 2

Q: How was the Kemp's ridley named?

A: The turtle was called Kemp's ridley after Richard Kemp of Key West, Florida, who sent a specimen to Harvard Univeristy in 1880. The name ridley remains a mystery although fishermen may have called them "ridlers" because their identify was a riddle.