River Museum welcomes rare sea turtle

The National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium has a new — and rare — resident: a juvenile Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, considered the most endangered sea turtle species in the world. The turtle arrived from the National Aquarium in Baltimore after a year of rehabilitation following a cold-stun stranding on Cape Cod in late 2024. Most of the turtles rescued in that event have since been released, but this one developed permanent health complications and officials with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined the turtle cannot be safely returned to the wild. Museum officials say the turtle will help visitors understand how the Mississippi River watershed — which drains about 40% of the continental U.S. — impacts the Gulf of Mexico, a key habitat for the species. The turtle is now on view in the museum’s Rivers to the Sea Gallery.