A type of sea turtle, specifically the Ridley turtle, which is one of the smallest sea turtle species.
Named after an 18th-century sea captain or possibly derived from the word 'rider' (one who rides the waves). The term became standardized in scientific literature by the 1850s-1900s to describe this particular species found in tropical and subtropical oceans.
Kemp's ridley turtles were once hunted to the brink of extinction, with populations dropping from millions to just 702 females by 1985, but through international conservation efforts they've made an incredible comeback to over 30,000 — making them one of the most remarkable examples of species recovery in modern times.
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