Texas Porch

Coast / Sea turtles

Sea turtles & coastal wildlife.

The Texas coast is a nursery for the Kemp's ridley - the smallest and most endangered sea turtle in the world - and more of them nest at Padre Island than anywhere else in the U.S. All sea turtles are protected by federal law. (See the Wildlife hub for the full coastal who-to-call.)

What to do

Found a turtle? Don't touch it

If you find a sea turtle - nesting, stranded, or injured - don't touch it or its nest. Call the statewide sea turtle hotline, 1-866-TURTLE-5 (1-866-887-8535). Quick reports help biologists rescue eggs and hatchlings.

Hatchling releases

Padre Island National Seashore runs public hatchling releases in summer - usually mid-June through August, around 6:45 a.m. on Malaquite Beach. It's one of the great wildlife experiences on the coast. Call the park's Hatchling Hotline, (361) 949-7163, before you go (releases can be canceled), and skip the flash photos.

Dim your lights

In nesting season, bright lights disorient hatchlings, so coastal towns ask people to shield or dim beachfront lights at night and avoid flashlights and flash photos near turtles.

Marine mammals & birds

Dolphins (and the occasional manatee), nesting birds, and the dunes are protected too - keep your distance, leash dogs, and stay off the dunes. Report a stranded or dead dolphin or whale to the Marine Mammal Stranding Network, 1-800-9-MAMMAL (1-800-962-6625).

For the full coastal who-to-call (sea turtles, dolphins, and more), see the Wildlife hub's coast page.

Keep going

Where to go

Padre Island and beyond.

Find a beach ->

Beach rules

Fill holes, leash dogs.

Know the rules ->

Wildlife hub

The full who-to-call.

Coast wildlife ->

Coast hub

Back to the main guide.

Open the hub ->

Official sources

Sea turtles are federally protected; Padre Island National Seashore runs the recovery program and the public hatchling releases. Report any stranded or injured turtle or marine mammal - don't handle it.

Data vintage:
Sea turtle info as reviewed June 2026
Last reviewed:
June 15, 2026

Caution: Handling a sea turtle or marine mammal is illegal for the public, even to help. Report it and let trained responders take over. Nesting-season rules change - check the park.

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