May marks the beginning of sea turtle nesting season on the Alabama Gulf Coast, and although we have seen an increasing number of sea turtles being born and returning to nest over recent years, we have also seen the unthinkable. You may remember the female sea turtle who was found in the surf with her neck attached to a beach chair. Or you may have heard the horrifying news of a group of tourists caught on camera looting sea turtle [...]
Did you know our Alabama beaches are a prime nesting ground for sea turtles? Unfortunately, with development along our coastline comes some dangers for these nesting turtles and for the hatchlings as they make their way to the water. But volunteers are on duty to help keep them safe. How does that work? Share the Beach was formed in 2005, and now comes under the umbrella of the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge and The Alabama Coastal Foundation. The Share [...]
If you’ve visited the Alabama coast, you no doubt have seen efforts to protect our sea turtle hatchlings and nests. But there are some really cool things about sea turtles that you may not know. 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, they also are homebodies. Female sea turtles return to the beach where they were born to lay their eggs. [...]
Do you ever wonder what’s the big deal about sea turtle nesting season on the Alabama coast? The more you learn about these creatures, the more fascinating they become. And you’ll want to do your part to keep our sea turtle hatchlings safe. Each year, thousands of endangered sea turtles make their way to our state’s shores. The species we see most often on Alabama beaches are loggerheads, known for their large heads and blunt, powerful jaws. But other species [...]
How much do you know about the Share the Beach program? While thousands of families converge on our beautiful beaches each year for their summer vacation, so do thousands of sea turtles. Starting in May, female sea turtles make their way hundreds of miles to our shores to lay eggs, which hatch between July and October. Once they hatch, the young sea turtles must make their way to the Gulf of Mexico. That’s when they need our help. Hatchlings are [...]
You know about the Alabama sea turtles, right? The females make their way hundreds of miles each year to the beach where they hatched so that they can lay their own eggs in the same nesting spot. From May through October, these creatures become our neighbors. And they are very vulnerable ones. When the eggs hatch, the hatchlings follow the light to the warm Gulf of Mexico waters to begin their own trek. But beach lighting, such as parking lot [...]
Sea Turtle Season is upon us and there are 127 nests so far, according to Mike Reynolds, turtle czar of Share the Beach, which focuses on all things sea turtle in Alabama. From May 1 to Oct. 31 each year, loggerhead, green and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles return to the place they were hatched to lay turtle eggs. Share the Beach, a volunteer group formed by the Friends of the Bon Secour Wildlife Refuge in Gulf Shores, patrols the beaches, [...]
