diff --git a/doc/api/index.rst b/doc/api/index.rst
index 8fd7ae0e028..08d9a23ec3f 100644
--- a/doc/api/index.rst
+++ b/doc/api/index.rst
@@ -237,7 +237,6 @@ Use :func:`pygmt.datasets.load_sample_data` instead.
 
     datasets.load_hotspots
     datasets.load_mars_shape
-    datasets.load_ocean_ridge_points
     datasets.load_sample_bathymetry
     datasets.load_usgs_quakes
 
diff --git a/pygmt/datasets/__init__.py b/pygmt/datasets/__init__.py
index f0c003b77d6..3a00936ef26 100644
--- a/pygmt/datasets/__init__.py
+++ b/pygmt/datasets/__init__.py
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
     list_sample_data,
     load_hotspots,
     load_mars_shape,
-    load_ocean_ridge_points,
     load_sample_bathymetry,
     load_sample_data,
     load_usgs_quakes,
diff --git a/pygmt/datasets/samples.py b/pygmt/datasets/samples.py
index bfb7fb84c46..fe52f4bbc39 100644
--- a/pygmt/datasets/samples.py
+++ b/pygmt/datasets/samples.py
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ def load_sample_data(name):
         "bathymetry": load_sample_bathymetry,
         "hotspots": load_hotspots,
         "mars_shape": load_mars_shape,
-        "ocean_ridge_points": load_ocean_ridge_points,
         "usgs_quakes": load_usgs_quakes,
     }
 
@@ -84,6 +83,7 @@ def load_sample_data(name):
         "japan_quakes": _load_japan_quakes,
         "maunaloa_co2": _load_maunaloa_co2,
         "notre_dame_topography": _load_notre_dame_topography,
+        "ocean_ridge_points": _load_ocean_ridge_points,
         "rock_compositions": _load_rock_sample_compositions,
     }
 
@@ -125,41 +125,24 @@ def _load_japan_quakes():
     )
 
 
-def load_ocean_ridge_points(**kwargs):
+def _load_ocean_ridge_points():
     """
-    (Deprecated) Load a table of ocean ridge points for the entire world as a
+    Load a table of ocean ridge points for the entire world as a
     pandas.DataFrame.
 
-    .. warning:: Deprecated since v0.6.0. This function has been replaced with
-       ``load_sample_data(name="ocean_ridge_points")`` and will be removed in
-       v0.9.0.
-
-    This is the ``@ridge.txt`` dataset used in the GMT tutorials.
-
-    The data are downloaded to a cache directory (usually ``~/.gmt/cache``) the
-    first time you invoke this function. Afterwards, it will load the data from
-    the cache. So you'll need an internet connection the first time around.
-
     Returns
     -------
     data : pandas.DataFrame
-        The data table. Columns are longitude and latitude.
+        The data table. The column names are "longitude" and "latitude".
     """
-
-    if "suppress_warning" not in kwargs:
-        warnings.warn(
-            "This function has been deprecated since v0.6.0 and will be removed "
-            "in v0.9.0. Please use load_sample_data(name='ocean_ridge_points') "
-            "instead.",
-            category=FutureWarning,
-            stacklevel=2,
-        )
-
     fname = which("@ridge.txt", download="c")
-    data = pd.read_csv(
-        fname, sep=r"\s+", names=["longitude", "latitude"], skiprows=1, comment=">"
+    return pd.read_csv(
+        fname,
+        delim_whitespace=True,
+        names=["longitude", "latitude"],
+        skiprows=1,
+        comment=">",
     )
-    return data
 
 
 def load_sample_bathymetry(**kwargs):
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/test_datasets_samples.py b/pygmt/tests/test_datasets_samples.py
index 98e25ae7bc7..cbfae696984 100644
--- a/pygmt/tests/test_datasets_samples.py
+++ b/pygmt/tests/test_datasets_samples.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 from pygmt.datasets import (
     load_hotspots,
     load_mars_shape,
-    load_ocean_ridge_points,
     load_sample_bathymetry,
     load_sample_data,
     load_usgs_quakes,
@@ -41,9 +40,7 @@ def test_ocean_ridge_points():
     """
     Check that the @ridge.txt dataset loads without errors.
     """
-    with pytest.warns(expected_warning=FutureWarning) as record:
-        data = load_ocean_ridge_points()
-        assert len(record) == 1
+    data = load_sample_data(name="ocean_ridge_points")
     assert data.shape == (4146, 2)
     assert data["longitude"].min() == -179.9401
     assert data["longitude"].max() == 179.935