Between the months of May and October, we share the beach with our nesting neighbors, the endangered sea turtles. Several types of sea turtles make the treacherous journey to our sandy shores in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach where females will lay up to 100 eggs per nest.
In 55 to 75 days, hatchlings will emerge from their shells to make the journey to water. It’s estimated that more than 40,000 hatchlings safely entered into Alabama Gulf Coast waters from 2003 to 2013. Nests of sea turtles have safely hatched in front of both The Beach Club and Turquoise Place.
These interesting creatures are protected by the Endangered Species Act, making it unlawful to disturb
nesting sea turtles. If you come across a nest in the hatching process, stay back and observe the process. It’s quite a site to see!
Share the beach and help ensure these tiny creatures safely make their journey to the Gulf with these sea turtle-friendly tips:
- Avoid using flashlights or flash photography on the beach at night.
- Turn off outside balcony lights and shield indoor lights from shining onto the beach at night. Hatchling sea turtles find their way to the Gulf waters by moonlight or starlight. Building lights along the shore may confuse the hatchlings, drawing them away from the water.
- Do not disturb sea turtle nests.
- Leave sea turtle tracks undisturbed.
- Do not leave trash or tents on the beach.
- Adopt a nest!
If you see a new nest or a large “crawl line” to and from the water, please call 866-SEA TURTLE. For additional information or to volunteer on Share the Beach, please visithttp://www.alabamaseaturtles.com/volunteering/.
Thank you to our guest blogger Eva Faircloth for this post! Be sure to follow the link below for more Gulf Shores and Orange Beach traveler tips!
