OUT ABOUT HER JOURNEY HERE TO KANSAS CITY. SHE MIGHT BE CRITICALLY ENDANGERED AND A LITTLE SHY, BUT YOU COULD STILL SEE HER RIGHT NOW AT SEA LIFE. THEY EVEN NEED YOUR HELP PICKING OUT HER NAME FOR SUCH A SMALL SEA TURTLE. KEMPSVILLE COVERED MORE THAN 1000 MILES TRAVELING FROM AN AQUARIUM IN BALTIMORE TO KANSAS CITY AND SOLIDIFYING HER TITLE AS MISSOURI’S ONLY PERMANENT KEMP’S RIDLEY SEA TURTLE. HER FLIGHT WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY TURTLES FLY TO, A NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO HELPING TRANSPORT ENDANGERED SPECIES. SEA LIFE SAYS KEMPSVILLE, CANNOT SURVIVE ON HER OWN IN THE WILD, AS HER SPECIES IS CRITICALLY ENDANGERED. AND NOW SEA LIFE IS ON A MISSION TO PROMOTE CONSERVATION THROUGH EDUCATION AND OUTREACH. THERE’S A VERY REAL THREAT AND DANGER OF LOSING THEM IN THE WILD, OF THEM GOING EXTINCT. SO SHE IS HERE TO REPRESENT ALL OF THE KEMP’S RIDLEYS THAT LIVE IN AND AROUND OUR LOCAL BEACHES. AND SHE’S HERE TO TO HELP OUR GUESTS UNDERSTAND HOW THEY CAN PROTECT SEA TURTLES, EVEN IN THE MIDWEST, EVEN IN KANSAS CITY, AND HOW OUR ACTIONS EVERY DAY IMPACT THE LIVES OF THESE ANIMALS AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO PROTECT THEM. SEA LIFE SAYS SHE’S IN THEIR SMALL AQUARIUM NOW, BUT SOON SHE WILL JOIN THE OTHER SEA TURTLES. WHEN SHE GETS A BIT OLDER
Endangered rescue sea turtle flown across country to new home
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Updated: 4:42 PM CDT Aug 15, 2025
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A rescue sea turtle was flown more than 1,000 miles to her new, forever home in Kansas City last week. Kempsville, the turtle, traveled across the country from Baltimore, Maryland, to SEA LIFE Kansas City Aquarium. Kempsville is a Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, which is the most critically endangered sea turtle species in the world. The turtle’s rescue journey began in May 2023, according to a SEA LIFE spokesperson, when Kempsville was found caught on a fishing hook off the coast of Virginia Beach. Kempsville underwent surgery and long-term rehabilitation after the procedure. Animal rescue experts also provided care for Kempsville’s arthritis in her front flippers, which prevented her from passing a necessary swim test. Ultimately, experts determined that Kempsville could not be returned to sea and needed human care. That’s where SEA LIFE Kansas City stepped in. Turtles Fly Too, an organization that has helped transport 4,000 turtles, made sure that Kempsville was secure and safe for her flight to the Kansas City aquarium, her new home. Now, Kempsville will spend the rest of her days in the care of SEA LIFE Kansas City. She will be the only permanent Kemp’s ridley sea turtle in Missouri. SEA LIFE Kansas City is on a mission to promote conservation through education and outreach. "There's a very real threat and danger of losing them in the wild, of them going extinct," said Kayla Leyden, SEA LIFE curator. "So she is here to represent all of the Kemp's ridleys that live in and around our local beaches. And she's here to help our guests understand how they can protect sea turtles, even in the Midwest, even in Kansas City, and how our actions every day impact the lives of these animals and what we can do protect them." For now, Kempsville is housed in the small aquarium, but when she gets older, she’ll join green sea turtles Lou and Gertrude, who were also rescued.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A rescue sea turtle was flown more than 1,000 miles to her new, forever home in Kansas City last week.
Kempsville, the turtle, traveled across the country from Baltimore, Maryland, to SEA LIFE Kansas City Aquarium. Kempsville is a Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, which is the most critically endangered sea turtle species in the world.
The turtle’s rescue journey began in May 2023, according to a SEA LIFE spokesperson, when Kempsville was found caught on a fishing hook off the coast of Virginia Beach. Kempsville underwent surgery and long-term rehabilitation after the procedure. Animal rescue experts also provided care for Kempsville’s arthritis in her front flippers, which prevented her from passing a necessary swim test.
Ultimately, experts determined that Kempsville could not be returned to sea and needed human care.
That’s where SEA LIFE Kansas City stepped in.
Turtles Fly Too, an organization that has helped transport 4,000 turtles, made sure that Kempsville was secure and safe for her flight to the Kansas City aquarium, her new home.
Now, Kempsville will spend the rest of her days in the care of SEA LIFE Kansas City. She will be the only permanent Kemp’s ridley sea turtle in Missouri.
SEA LIFE Kansas City is on a mission to promote conservation through education and outreach.
"There's a very real threat and danger of losing them in the wild, of them going extinct," said Kayla Leyden, SEA LIFE curator. "So she is here to represent all of the Kemp's ridleys that live in and around our local beaches. And she's here to help our guests understand how they can protect sea turtles, even in the Midwest, even in Kansas City, and how our actions every day impact the lives of these animals and what we can do protect them."
For now, Kempsville is housed in the small aquarium, but when she gets older, she’ll join green sea turtles Lou and Gertrude, who were also rescued.
