MOVEMENTS AND SUBMERGENCE PATTERNS OF KEMPS RIDLEY TURTLES (LEPIDOCHELYS KEMPII)

Four Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) turtles, ranging in straight-line carapace length from 51 to 60 cm and in weight from 19 to 27 kg, were released in 12 to 19 m water depths off Florida, Texas, and North Carolina and tracked for 1.0 to 8.5 months. Movements up to 2600 km were observed. The number of submergences per day was inversely proportional to the duration of submergences per day. These ridleys spent 89% of their time submerged and frequented waters ranging in depth from 1-140 m. Turtles ranged from inshore to 77 km offshore. Mean swimming speeds of these turtles were from 0.7 to 1.3 km/h, with over 95% of the actual velocity values less than or equal to 5 km/h.