Turtles · La Saladita, Guerrero

Olive Ridley Sea Turtle

Lepidochelys olivacea

Spanish: Tortuga Golfina

Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)
Photographed by edgar-maldonado on iNaturalist · CC-BY-NC

The olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), also known as the Pacific ridley sea turtle, are the second smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world; this species of sea turtle is found in warm and tropical waters, primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. They can also be found in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

TaxonomyReptilia › Testudines › Cheloniidae
IUCN statusVulnerable (VU)
Local records94 research-grade observations within about 50 km of La Saladita (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones)
Global records6,411 on iNaturalist
Most recent records2025 – 2026
Months of the 8 most recent records
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Recent local sightings

Interactive card with more photos, sounds and similar species Turtles guide iNaturalist Wikipedia

Cite as: “Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) at La Saladita”, La Saladita Field Guide, lasaladita.com/species/lepidochelys-olivacea/, updated 2026-09-26. Observation counts and months come from iNaturalist research-grade records within about 50 km of 17.8375°N, 101.7606°W (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones); summary text from Wikipedia where present.