So you are preparing to hit the beach. You know what to put in the beach bag, right? A beach towel, sunscreen, sunglasses, hat. Plenty of water and snacks. Maybe a good novel to read while you pass the time. But do you know what does not belong at the beach? There are items you need to leave out of that beach bag due to local, state or federal laws or ordinances that prohibit them. On the Alabama Gulf Coast, [...]
Show of hands: Who likes to picnic at the beach? Who doesn’t?! There are few things in life as simplistic and wonderful as a day spent on the beach with your family. And that means having plenty of snacks and food ready so you don’t have to leave once you get set up. Want to know some secrets to packing a great picnic lunch when you head out to a spot on the Alabama beaches? First, take lots of finger [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Make your beach day one for the photo books by following safe practices for swimming, surfing and boating. A dip in the Gulf of Mexico is the order of the day for most visitors. The call of the warm waves is too tempting to resist, but swimmers should know the flag colors before getting in the water. Most beach towns along the Gulf Coast, including Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, use the same warning flag system to give visitors a [...]
