More sea turtle hatchlings have made it to the relative safety of the Gulf of Mexico from our beaches than in years past, according to Mike Reynolds, turtle czar for Share the Beach, the Alabama sea turtle conservation program.

As of September, approximately 14,000 sea turtle hatchlings had emerged from nests along the Alabama Gulf Coast, but Reynolds reminds us the season is not over yet. “Higher numbers are being reported all along the northern Gulf Coast, from here to Panama City,” he said.

When the hatchlings leave the relative safety of the nest, they do so without any tracking devices. The primary marine habitats for hatchlings are the sargassum seaweed mats that float on the water. The young sea turtles will move around the tip of Florida, up the Atlantic Coast, across the North Atlantic and finally into the Sargasso Sea – the only sea on the planet that has no coastline – where they will grow up, Reynolds said.

In about 15 to 20 years, mama sea turtles will return to the Alabama Gulf Coast from their journeys to make their own nests. Although the hatchlings do not have tracking devices, some of the adult sea turtles do; you can track their progress on the Share the Beach website.

The new Leave Only Footprints initiative, adopted by the cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach to keep the beaches clean, made it easier to patrol the beaches in the morning, Reynolds said.

During the off-season, volunteers will prepare for the next season and enjoy a break so they can start afresh in the spring. The Share the Beach website provides information about the sea turtles and how you can become involved.