Doug Perrine/Minden Pictures
The Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, recently named the official sea turtle of Texas, has arrived — there’s now a beer named in its honor. Padre Island Brewing Company crafted the brew, Kemp’s Ridley Bock, and some of the proceeds — 25 cents per beer — will go to Sea Turtle Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to turtle rescue and conservation efforts.
The smallest of the eight species of sea turtles, the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle was placed on the endangered species list in 1970 because poaching of the nesting turtles and their eggs decimated the population, whose primary habitat is the Gulf of Mexico.
Mark Haggenmiller, the brewery’s president, says the company plans to produce the tasty lager annually each spring to coincide with the start of turtle-nesting season. “I hope the beer sells itself,” Haggenmiller says. “The back end is to just raise awareness and cash for Sea Turtle Inc. We do pretty well with our beer sales — seasonals especially.”
STI says proceeds from sales of Kemp’s Ridley Bock will help the organization in building a new, much-larger space.
Last year, Kemp’s ridley nests found along the Texas coastline rose to 209 from 199 in 2011.
