Which critically endangered sea turtle is the smallest of all sea turtles?

The critically endangered sea turtle that is the smallest of all sea turtles is Kemp’s ridley sea turtle.

Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) is the smallest living sea turtle and one of the rarest. Adults typically have a rounded, gray-green shell and a pale underside; they can reach about 75 centimeters in shell length and roughly 50 kilograms, though many are smaller. Hatchlings are dark purple before their coloration changes as they mature.

This turtle is especially famous for arribadas, mass nesting events in which large numbers of females come ashore together. Its principal nesting beach is at Rancho Nuevo in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Egg collection and hunting caused severe historical declines, while modern threats include shrimp-trawl bycatch, habitat loss, pollution, and accidental capture.

Kemp’s ridley is sometimes confused with the olive ridley, the other species in the genus Lepidochelys. The olive ridley is generally smaller than many other turtles too, but Kemp’s ridley holds the distinction of being the smallest sea turtle species overall.