Why do we need litter-free beaches? For our future. But not just the future of humankind. Mama sea turtles use our beaches to build nests and lay eggs. Their hatchlings, soon to march into the Gulf of Mexico, are their future and they don’t need to be encumbered by fishing line, leftover trash, broken glass, and holes dug in the sand. The creatures who live in the Gulf of Mexico also depend on us to leave the water pristine so [...]
Our flags fly high every day with messages for beach visitors and residents alike. Leave Only Footprints hopes each beachgoer will leave the beach with all their gear in tow, plus great memories. One way to have a great beach day is knowing what each flag color means and abiding by its meaning. Your beach getaway will be all the better for it. Public beaches at Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Gulf State Park fly the flags, and many condos [...]
Seeing green and making it clean - that’s the goal of a clean coast lifestyle and the goal of the new Leave Only Footprints initiative adopted by both Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Enforcement of Leave Only Footprints begins this month and many people are onboard to make the Alabama Gulf Coast sparkle like sunshine. The ordinance calls for all temporary structures (beach tents and canopies), beach chairs and toys to be removed from the beach one hour after sunset. [...]
While we may all have our own ideas of what should be banned from the beach, the key is remembering that Alabama’s white-sand beaches are here for all to enjoy: young to young-at-heart and sea turtles to beach mouse. The Leave Only Footprints initiative adopted by both Gulf Shores and Orange Beach asks beach visitors to remove what they bring to the beach each day, including beach chairs, beach toys and trash. Here’s a list of three additional beach usage [...]
Keeping the beach clean for generations to come is one of the goals of the new Leave Only Footprints initiative adopted by both the cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach and similar efforts by several Florida coastal communities. Under the new rules, beachgoers are asked to collect what they bring to the beach and take it home with them, including beach tents, beach chairs, rafts, toys and other gear. Additionally, holes that are deeper than 12 inches must be [...]
Digging in the sugar-white sands of the Alabama Gulf Coast is a rite of passage for many children. It’s a great way for youngsters, particularly, to while away a beach day with a shovel and a pail. Some holes dug become foundations for castles in the sand, but others pockmark the beach with no purpose. Under the new Leave Only Footprints ordinance adopted by both Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, holes deeper than 12 inches will have to be refilled [...]
Balloons have long been a fitting end to many a celebration. Releasing them into the air seems like such a freeing action, the balloons floating away in the wind, carried ofto unknown destinations. Our fancies fly with the fluttering ribbons tied to the balloon. Unfortunately, the balloon released today may be the death knell for some unlucky sea creature or land animal who mistakes it for food. It’s not only the ribbons or strings that can entangle some part of [...]
Turn your surfin’ safari into a photo safari on your next beach getaway and find what the Alabama Gulf Coast has to offer visitors. With several distinct ecosystems, the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area gives photographers the chance to capture great memories for your scrapbook. Download the Scenic Byways app for an easy way to navigate our piece of paradise. Itineraries on the Scenic Byway can point your camera in several different ways. Choose the one that inspires your [...]
Learning the ABCs of keeping the beach healthy and clean for years to come can begin almost as soon as your little one is ready to dig his/her shovel into the sand to make a castle. Children (and adults) learn by example; they must see to believe and to learn that a healthy beach begins with them. All: Take everything with you that you bring to the beach and Leave Only Footprints. At the end of your beach day, make [...]
What is the best way to Leave Only Footprints when you visit Alabama beaches? Pick up your trash. It’s as easy as putting the trash in the cans conveniently located on the beaches in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Did you know it will take an apple core thrown in the Gulf of Mexico two months to disappear? That’s the same amount of time it takes a cardboard box to disintegrate. Even a paper towel can take two weeks to [...]
