Did you know picking or destroying sea oats along our coast is illegal? Walking on the sand dunes and picking sea oats is prohibited by a law enacted in 1973 by the Alabama legislature. This is because vegetation is essential to our coast’s ecosystem. Sea oats are not just some weed. They look like tall grass and are durable, making them an ideal natural storm protector. This is extremely important as the coast is greatly affected by tropical storms and [...]
Summer may be over, but sea turtle nesting season is not. These beautiful creatures have been laying their eggs and hatching along the coast of Alabama since May and this will continue through the end of October. Daily patrols have now ended, which means it’s important to stay dedicated to following the guidelines to keep hatchlings safe. Avoid using flashlights or anything bright on the beach at night. The lights confuse the turtles and keep them from completing their trek to [...]
It’s still sea turtle nesting season along the beautiful Alabama Gulf Coast. Those amazing sea turtle patrol volunteers have had a busy summer. Daily patrols ended August 31, but the season continues through October 31. Since sea turtle eggs have an incubation period of 55 to 70 days, it’s likely there are a few stragglers that haven’t hatched yet. Please continue to practice the following guidelines until nesting season is over. No white lights or flash photography on the beach. It [...]
It’s the height of sea turtle nesting season here on the northern Gulf Coast. As vacationers flock to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach each summer, thousands of endangered sea turtles are hatching on those same beaches. Did you know that what you do on the beach each day can make a difference to the nesting turtles and the babies? Below are a few guidelines to help these amazing creatures survive. If you dig a hole, fill it in before you leave. Digging large [...]
It’s here! The most anticipated season of the year is the time between May 1 and August 31. We’re not just talking about summer, though. It’s also sea turtle nesting season! During this time, endangered sea turtles come on shore to lay their eggs all along the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. It’s something we always get excited about and our summer visitors do, too. When the female turtle comes on shore to lay eggs, it’s important for her [...]
Sea turtle nesting season on Alabama’s Gulf Coast is between May and October. During this time, mama turtles come on shore to lay their eggs. After approximately 55 days, the baby sea turtles hatch and head to the Gulf of Mexico. Thousands of these endangered creatures hatch on the beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach each year. Sea turtle nesting season is also the busy tourist season on Pleasure Island. Volunteers comb the beaches each morning and keep a watchful eye out for turtle tracks in the sand. If they spot tracks and a nest, it will [...]
How can you not love a sea turtle? Just look at that face! Did you know these endangered beauties nest on Alabama’s beaches? Each year, starting in May, sea turtles make their way to shore to lay their eggs. Here on Alabama’s beaches, we are lucky to have them visit our sugar-white sand. In 2019, 114 nests were recorded in Alabama. With an average of 110 eggs per nest, that’s a lot of baby turtles. Volunteers with Share The Beach cruise the beach each [...]
May brings one of our favorite seasons of the year: sea turtle nesting season! Each year, the endangered loggerhead, Kemp’s ridley and green sea turtles arrive on our beautiful white-sand beaches to dig nests and lay eggs. The amazing part is what happens after the eggs are laid and the mama turtle returns to the Gulf of Mexico. That’s when hundreds of volunteers step in to help ensure the baby turtles find their way to the water. Alabama’s Share The Beach program enlists volunteers to patrol the beach and record each nest. The nests are marked and [...]
Each year sea turtles return to our beaches to nest. After returning to the coast where they were born, the female sea turtles make their way onto the beach and dig a hole to lay their eggs. The two types of sea turtles that nest on the Alabama coast are the loggerhead, which can grow to 200 pounds and an average length of three feet, and the Kemp’s ridley that can grow to two feet and weigh 100 pounds. In 2019, a rare green sea turtle also nested in Orange Beach! Since the establishment of the Leave Only Footprints program, both of their numbers continue [...]
The summer beach season will be winding down soon, but sea turtle nesting season is only halfway through! Along the Alabama Gulf Coast, sea turtle nesting season runs from May through November. If you’re planning a fall beach vacation in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, keep reading to learn six ways you can help protect these endangered animals during their own visit to Alabama’s beaches. Do not disturb nests. You might come upon a nest that has been roped off [...]
