Alabama's coastal area is part of the western region of sea turtle territory and three species of sea turtle nest on our shores. Those that find thee way here are the Green Turtle, Kemp's Ridley, and Loggerhead Turtle. Kemp's Ridley sea turtles are among the most endangered species in the world, with only about 900 breeding females. 

From May until the the end of October, dozens of pregnant female turtles climb out of the warm Gulf of Mexico waters onto our beaches to lay their eggs in a nest in our sand. The turtles lay about 100 eggs, each about the size of a ping-pong ball. The eggs are left to incubate in the nest alone. The baby turtles in one nest all hatch at same time two to three months later. 

The baby turtles are guided by the light of the moon and the stars towards the sea. There can be many hazards to the babies finding their way to the new home in the sea. Distracting lights from condos and beach houses, highways, driveways, streetlights can confuse the tiny babies and lure then into dry areas to die. Debris left from construction, hurricanes, and irresponsible human beach visitors can be obstacles the baby turtles might not be able to get past. Even the nests, before hatching time, can be unknowingly damaged and trampled by beachgoers and pets. Sometimes storms come up just as baby turtles are hatching and disrupt their trek to the surf.

Sea turtles are an Endangered Species and are protected by law. It is illegal to disturb a turtle nest, momma turtle, or hatchlings. Our area has a Share the Beach Sea Turtle Volunteer Program to help protect our natural turtle population. The nonprofit volunteer organization is a joint effort of the following local organizations:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bon Secour Wildlife Refuge, Gulf State Park, Alabama Dept of Conservation and Natural Resources, AL Dept of Environmental Management, Friends of Bon Secour Wildlife Refuge, Baldwin County, City of Gulf Shores, City of Orange Beach, AL Gulf Coast Convention and Visitor Bureau, and the AL Gulf Coast Area Chamber of Commerce plus the many volunteers.

Some of the volunteers actually spend time baby sitting the identified sea turtle nests and patrolling stretches of beach to be sure the nests are not disturbed. There is also an Adopt-a-Nest program. For a 50 dollar fee, participants can receive a certificate and detailed information about an assigned nest and a report on the nest's progress. The Adopt-a-Nest program is a great birthday present from parents to children to educate them about sea turtles and their habitat and our role in protecting them.

Some of the tips that the Share the Beach organization teaches include:

• Avoid flashlights on the beach at night.
• If you live on the beach, turn of porch lights at night.
• Never disturb a turtle nest.
• Never leave trash on the beach.

Our recent hurricanes have dealt a blow to our sea turtle population. It is especially important now that we all help educate the folks who live here and our visitors to our role in protecting our precious natural resources. Visit the Alabama Sea Turtle website: www.AlabamaSeaTurtles.com 

Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge

Friends of The Bon Secour National Wildflife Refuge

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service-Sea  Turtles

Daphne Sea Turtle Volunteer Training