If you’ve visited the Alabama coast, you no doubt have seen efforts to protect our sea turtle hatchlings and nests. Sea turtle season is a favorite along the beaches of coastal Alabama. In honor of our sea creature friends returning, we wanted to share a few fun facts.
- Sea turtles make the most avid travelers seem sedentary. Leatherback sea turtles can journey more than 10,000 miles each year!
- Even though they love to travel, sea turtles are also homebodies. Female sea turtles return to the beach where they were born to lay their eggs.
- Sea turtles are air-breathing reptiles, so they do need to surface to breathe. They can, however, stay underwater for four to seven hours if they’re resting.
- Six of the seven species of sea turtles are endangered. Sadly, they are killed for their eggs, meat, skin and shells, and their habitats are frequently destroyed. This is a major reason why they need our help to protect them.
We love sharing the beach with these amazing creatures, so please do your part in protecting them this season. From May to October, report nests you find, avoid those nests as well as turtle tracks, and keep lights off when on the beach at night or staying in a gulf-front property.