Nesting occurs during April, May, and June, although it can occur in July and August if cool spring weather delays the onset of the reproductive period. The female digs a hole in the sand, deposits her eggs, and returns to the sea. This process takes about forty-five minutes. The female generally deposits one to three clutches per season, laying an average of about one hundred soft, leathery, white eggs per clutch. After about fifty-five days of insulation in the sand, the eggs hatch.
Warmer temperatures produce primarily females and colder temperatures produce primarily males.
The Kemp's is endangered for a number of reasons. Human and non-human predation of eggs in nests, predation of hatchlings or older turtles by crabs, birds, fish, and mammals, and ingestion of plastics. Also, industrial pollutants, diseases, oil and gas drilling, dredging, explosive removal of oil platforms, and incidental capture in shrimping and other fishing gear are reasons for the Kemp's decline in numbers. The State and Federal government officials, and most shrimpers aren't acting upon the many concerns of these environmentalists. Also, Kemp's Ridleys are listed on the Conservation watch.