US #5870
2024 Olive Ridley Sea Turtle – Protect Sea Turtles
• Honors the olive ridley sea turtle and the importance of conservation efforts for these ancient sea creatures
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Protect Sea Turtles
Value: 68¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: June 11, 2024
First Day City: Corpus Christi, Texas
Quantity... more
US #5870
2024 Olive Ridley Sea Turtle – Protect Sea Turtles
• Honors the olive ridley sea turtle and the importance of conservation efforts for these ancient sea creatures
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Protect Sea Turtles
Value: 68¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: June 11, 2024
First Day City: Corpus Christi, Texas
Quantity Issued: 27,000,000
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Panes of 18
Tagging: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tagged
Why the stamp was issued: To raise awareness for sea turtle conservation.
About the stamp design: Pictures a photograph of an olive ridley sea turtle.
First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held at the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi, Texas, home to several rehabilitated and un-releasable sea turtles.
About the Protect Sea Turtles set: Includes six stamps promoting sea turtle conservation. Each design pictures a photograph of a different species: loggerhead, leatherback, hawksbill, Kemp’s ridley, olive ridley, and green sea turtle.
History the stamp represents: Olive ridley sea turtles were once considered the most plentiful sea turtles in the world. Today, they’re a vulnerable threatened species.
Olive ridley sea turtles get their name from the olive color of their shells. One of the smallest sea turtle species, they can grow up to two-and-a-half feet in length and weigh up to 100 pounds. Olive ridleys can be found in tropical waters of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans.
Along with their close relative the Kemp’s ridley, the olive ridley is one of just two species of sea turtle known to nest in groups. Referred to as arribada nesting, hundreds or thousands of female olive ridleys come ashore at the same time to lay their eggs. These packed nesting beaches became targets for people who collect the eggs and kill the females, both for food. Many countries have passed laws making this illegal, but not everywhere.
Coastal development and the loss of nesting ground have contributed to recent population drops. Additionally, olive ridleys suffer from contamination in the water from sewage, agriculture, pesticides, and more. The construction of marinas and docks also lead to oil and gasoline in the water. In some areas, their nesting grounds have been federally protected. And we can all help by keeping the water clean of pollution.
Less 
