We’ve probably all done it: throw a torn-off piece of bread into the air for sea gulls to swoop down and catch in their beaks. In fact, it’s kinda fun. Cheetos and crackers, too. But the next time you are tempted to feed the birds, don’t. Just don’t. There are reasons for this. First, it’s dangerous to someone holding out their hand to the sharp peck of a gull’s beak. Second, it makes these beautiful creatures become a nuisance. They [...]
Even though Independence Day is now past, we know shooting off bottle rockets and Roman candles during summer vacation is fun. We get it. But shooting fireworks on the beach can be dangerous. Fireworks are involved in about 10,000 injuries treated in U.S. hospitals each year, and about 7,000 of those occur in the four weeks surrounding the Fourth of July. Fireworks also leave behind a mess. Those little pieces of paper litter the beach after a night of exploding, [...]
You see those colored flags flying at the beach, but do you know why they are there? Educate yourself about the beach warning flag system to safely enjoy our beaches. In general, think of the flags like traffic lights. Red means stop. Yellow means proceed with caution. But even if there are no flags flapping in the breeze, always be careful and swim where there is a lifeguard on duty. Just because there is no flag, that does not assure [...]
Want to do something more to help sea turtles? Adopt a nest! Share the Beach, Alabama’s Sea Turtle program, seeks donations from those who want to protect the loggerhead, green and Kemp’s ridley turtles. These aquatic neighbors return to the Alabama Gulf Coast, where they hatched, to lay their own eggs. Funds from the Adopt-A-Nest program are used to buy new equipment and to educate the public. Donation levels include: Shoreline Sponsor - $250 Nesting Sponsor - $50 Hatchling Sponsor [...]
Five months out of each year, the Alabama Gulf Coast plays host to nesting sea turtles and their hatchlings. Three species nest on our shores: green, Kemp’s ridley and loggerhead. All are protected by the Endangered Species Act. When mama sea turtles are ready to seek a safe place for their eggs, they return to the area where they took their own first crawl to the Gulf of Mexico. The hatchlings hope to make it to the water without being [...]
Those big, pillowy hills of sugary-white sand that line the beaches of the Alabama Gulf Coast are so enticing. Sand dunes really do tempt visitors to run to the top to gaze at the Gulf of Mexico or take photos on them surrounded by waving fronds of sea oats. Here’s a few words of advice, however: Don’t do it. The dune system on the Alabama Gulf Coast is delicate. Walking on beach vegetation can damage the fragile plant roots that [...]
Coming to the beach for a visit with your children? Remember the sunscreen, flip flops, sand bucket, shovel and your plastic gloves. Enjoy your time on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, playing in the waves and making castles in the sand. Before returning home for the day, be sure you follow the rules of Leave Only Footprints. The new initiative requires beachgoers to collect and remove what they bring to the beach. This includes beach tents, beach [...]
Keeping our seas trash free starts on land with how we dispose of items. According to the group Ocean Conservancy, 8 million metric tons of plastic leak into the world’s oceans every year. Unless the tide of trash to sea is stemmed, there will be an estimated one ton of plastic for every three tons of fish by 2025, creating massive environmental, economic and health issues. Beach visitors on the Alabama Gulf Coast can make a difference every day [...]
Sea turtles on the Alabama Gulf Coast face a variety of threats, including the development of prime nesting beaches, artificial lighting, commercial fishing gear, boats, debris and erosion. Each May to October, Sea turtles - including loggerhead, green and Kemp’s ridley - make pilgrimages to where they were hatched to lay their own clutch of eggs. Share the Beach, the Alabama Gulf Coast’s sea turtle protection program, administers the Alabama Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network. Each year, hundreds [...]
Slather on the sunscreen and don your comfortable walking shoes. It’s time for a walk on the wild side. More than just beaches, the Alabama Gulf Coast is home to wildlife refuges that offer a haven to birds, flora and fauna. Named as one of the ten natural wonders of Alabama, the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge serves as a living laboratory for students and scientists and a safe place for endangered sea turtles that nest on our [...]
