05/01/2025
๐ง๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐น๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ! ๐ข
Three species of sea turtles nest on Alabama's Gulf Coast: Loggerhead, Kemp's Ridley, and Green sea turtles. Our most common nesting sea turtle here in Gulf Shores is the Loggerhead. At night, female Loggerheads will emerge from the Gulf to lay about 120 eggs in their nest and then return to the water. Baby sea turtles grow inside these eggs, and once they are all ready, they hatch and crawl out of their nest together. Just like their mama, Loggerhead turtles prefer nighttime, so they leave their nest, follow the light reflecting off the water from the moon, and crawl towards the Gulf in the dark.
It is important we help protect these sea turtles by doing the following:
๐ฆ Avoid using flashlights or flash photography on the beach at night. If you do use a light at night, please use red filter lights.
๐ก Turn off outside patio lights and shield indoor lights from shining onto the beach at night.
๐ฅ Do not disturb sea turtle nests.
โ๏ธ Keep your distance (at least 30 feet) from adult turtles that come onto the beach to nest.
๐ข Leave sea turtle tracks undisturbed.
๐ฃ Leave Only Footprints! Do not leave beach gear, holes, or trash on the beach.
โ๏ธ Report sea turtle sightings to 866-732-8878.
For more information, visit https://www.joinacf.org/stb.
