Coral the sea turtle overcomes injury at SC aquarium, found in Mexico years later

Coral the Kemp’s ridleys sea turtle found in Mexico. (Credit: Dr. Shane Boylan)

 (WPDE) — A Kemp’s ridley sea turtle was detected on a nesting beach in Mexico with a special connection to South Carolina.

Boaters discovered a small female turtle injured with a propellor wound near Edisto Island in 2017. SCDNR staff transferred her to the South Carolina Aquarium where she earned the name Coral. She fully recovered before returning to the ocean a year later.

Dr. Thane Wibbels of the University of Alabama notified SCDNR of the tagged Kemp’s ridley turtle found in Mexico just a few years after Coral was released back into the ocean.

Kemp’s ridleys are the world’s most endangered sea turtle species and are the only sea turtles to nest during the daytime in large groups.

Young Kemp’s ridleys forage in South Carolina waters throughout the year, but the vast majority of them nest along the Gulf Coast.

Coral’s re-appearance underscores recent SCDNR research showing the importance of our coast to a sea turtle primarily thought of as a Gulf Coast species.