The Kemp's ridley is the most endangered species of sea turtle in the world. This species' primary nesting beach is located in Rancho Nuevo, Mexico. However, in recent times Kemp's ridley nests have been documented on Padre Island, Texas, as well as in Florida and South Carolina.

Although nesting ridleys are rare in the US, the juveniles are relatively common. When the hatchlings disperse from their natal beach, they enter the current systems of the Gulf of Mexico and the North Atlantic.

Very young Kemp's ridleys have been found off the coasts of Louisiana and Florida, whereas older individuals can be found in the sounds of North Carolina, Chesapeake Bay, and Long Island Sound, feeding primarily on crabs. The individual below was captured in Core Sound, NC, and had a carapace length of about 25 centimeters