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Gulf Shores Orange Beach

Download the Alabama Sea Turtle Conservation Manual

Turtle Eggs
Unhatched sea turtle eggs
Photo courtesy Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge.


Nesting season begins in May and that's when we begin to see females coming ashore to lay their eggs. They lay an average of 100 eggs per nest. The incubation period is from 55 to 70 days.

Alabama's coastline is divided into several areas which are patrolled by Share the Beach volunteers. These volunteers devote their time to searching for new nests, marking the nests and protecting the nests and hatchlings from natural and, more likely, human-related dangers.

In 2005, thirty-seven loggerhead nests and one possibly Kemps Ridley were identified along the coast. Throughout the summer, the coast was impacted by four named storms which affected the sea turtle nests by inundating them with water, covering them with large amounts of sand, or washing them away.

In the 2006 season, with the help of dedicated volunteers, Share The Beach had an outstanding year along the Alabama Gulf Coast. Forty-five loggerhead (Caretta caretta) nests and one Kemps Ridley were identified from Dauphin Island (Mobile County) east to Alabama Point (Baldwin County) near the Florida state line. Only four nests were lost due to Tropical Storm Alberto and a non-tropical storm in mid-October. Many of the nests were adopted through the Adopt-A-Nest program, which provided the funds needed to help Friends of Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge purchase a new Polaris ATV. Through the contributions made by our dedicated volunteers, it is estimated that 3,603 hatchling safely made it into the Gulf of Mexico.

In the 2007 season, there were fifty-four loggerhead (Caretta caretta) nests and one Kemps Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii). Share the Beach had an outstanding year along the Alabama Gulf Coast. Many of the nests were adopted through the Adopt-A-Nest program, which provided the funds needed to help Friends of Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge purchase a new supplies for marking and monitoring nests. Through the contributions made by our dedicated volunteers, it is estimated that 3465 hatchling safely made it into the Gulf of Mexico.

In the 2008 season, with the help of dedicated volunteers, Share the Beach had an average year along the Alabama Gulf Coast. Seventy-eight loggerhead (Caretta caretta) nests and one Kemps Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) were identified. Through the contributions made by our dedicated volunteers, it is estimated that 3520 hatchling safely made it into the Gulf of Mexico.

In 2009, Share the Beach volunteers discovered sixty-four loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nests and two Kemps Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) nests along the Alabama Gulf Coast. Through the contributions made by our dedicated volunteers, it is estimated that 4,513 hatchlings safely made it to the Gulf of Mexico.

In 2010, Share the Beach volunteers had to work extra hard to protect nesting turtles and their hatchlings. On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon (MC-252) Incident occurred. Oil began leaking into the Gulf of Mexico approximately 50 miles south of Louisiana. Due to the oil that began to wash onto Alabama beaches, USFWS developed new criteria for monitoring sea turtle nests. With the start of nighttime operations, turtle nest surveys were conducted in front of night clean-up crews. Forty-one loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nests and two Kemps Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) nests were located. As hatchling season approached, USFWS determined that it was too dangerous for the hatchlings to be released into the Gulf until more of the oil was cleaned up. Therefore, as the nests matured, the eggs were transported to Cape Canaveral, Florida with the help of Fedex. Sixteen nests were moved to Cape Canaveral with an estimated 1,261 hatchlings being released into the Atlantic Ocean. Three nests were released off the Florida Panhandle and twenty-four were allowed to hatch from Alabama's beaches. Approximately 1,365 hatchlings entered the Gulf of Mexico. For 2010, a grand total of 2,626 hatchlings were released.

The 2011 season was a banner year for Alabama. A total of 84 nests along the Alabama shores. USGS sent a tracking team to attach transmitting devices to more than a dozen Loggerheads. Due to Tropical Storm Lee passing by several nests were lost (innundated with water or washed away) but still more than 3,800 hatchlings (numbers are not final yet) made it into the Gulf of Mexico this season.

From 2003 – 2011 more than 28,300 (estimated) hatchlings safely entered into the Gulf of Mexico.

If you are visiting the beach and see signs of a new nest (a large "crawl line" to and from the water), or vandalism to a nest, please call 251-965-6378 or 1-866-SEA TURTLE to report it.


How Are They Doing? - Seasonal Statistics


The 2012 season is under way and is already exciting. Not only have we had the usual Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and Kemps Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) sea turtles nesting, there appears to be a Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia Mydas) nest - a first for Alabama. For the 2012 nesting season please check the totals below to see the latest information on this season's activity.


AlabamaPoint - I


ID

Date Found

# Eggs

1st Emergence

# to water

# Hatched

Survival %

2012 I-1

5/29/2012

75

8/8/2012

72

72

96

2012 I-2

6/2/2012

126

8/5/2012

121

118

96

2012 I-3

6/15/2012

137

8/14/2012

109

109

79.6


Dauphin Island - J


ID

Date Found

# Eggs

1st Emergence

# to water

# Hatched

Survival %

2012 J-1

5/25/2012

103

0

0

0

2012 J-2

5/25/2012

104

2012 J-7

5/26/2012

8

2012 J-3

6/7/2012

78

2012 J-4

6/22/2012

64

2012 J-5

6/28/2012

67

2012 J-6

7/9/2012

2012 J-8

7/10/2012

2012 J-9

7/16/2012

91

2012 J-10

7/17/2012


East Beach - E


ID

Date Found

# Eggs

1st Emergence

# to water

# Hatched

Survival %

2012 E-1

6/12/2012

133

8/15/2012

29

29

21.8

2012 E-2

7/8/2012

124

9/9/2012

1

4

0.8


Fort Morgan - A


ID

Date Found

# Eggs

1st Emergence

# to water

# Hatched

Survival %

2012 A-1

5/1/2012

126

7/14/2012

0

0

0

2012 A-2

5/16/2012

83

7/15/2012

25

25

30.1

2012 A-3

5/19/2012

115

8/1/2012

0

0

0

2012 A-4

5/21/2012

101

8/3/2012

0

0

0

2012 A-5

5/22/2012

138

8/4/2012

0

0

0

2012 A-6

5/22/2012

104

8/4/2012

0

0

0

2012 A-7

5/28/2012

120

8/2/2012

16

17

13.3

2012 A-8

5/30/2012

111

8/12/2012

0

0

0

2012 A-9

5/30/2012

2012 A-10

5/31/2012

119

8/14/2012

0

0

0

2012 A-11

5/31/2012

116

2012 A-12

6/3/2012

109

8/2/2012

94

94

86.2

2012 A-13

6/4/2012

101

7/30/2012

95

96

94.1

2012 A-14

6/5/2012

115

8/8/2012

69

69

60

2012 A-15

6/5/2012

122

8/21/2012

38

38

31.1

2012 A-16

6/6/2012

123

8/14/2012

12

12

9.8

2012 A-17

6/6/2012

95

8/24/2012

0

0

0

2012 A-18

6/6/2012

120

2012 A-19

6/7/2012

95

8/22/2012

0

0

0

2012 A-20

6/10/2012

107

8/11/2012

105

105

98.1

2012 A-21

6/10/2012

100

8/10/2012

73

73

73

2012 A-22

6/13/2012

109

8/12/2012

105

108

96.3

2012 A-23

6/13/2012

131

2012 A-24

6/15/2012

138

8/8/2012

127

127

92

2012 A-25

6/15/2012

112

8/11/2012

100

100

89.3

2012 A-26

6/18/2012

134

2012 A-27

6/18/2012

2012 A-28

6/18/2012

103

8/15/2012

96

96

93.2

2012 A-29

6/18/2012

107

8/14/2012

50

50

46.7

2102 A-30

6/19/2012

91

2012 A-31

6/19/2012

107

8/14/2012

90

90

84.1

2012 A-32

6/19/2012

115

2012 A-33

6/21/2012

109

8/19/2012

71

71

65.1

2012 A-34

6/21/2012

98

8/19/2012

40

41

40.8

2012 A-35

6/21/2012

86

2012 A-36

6/23/2012

110

8/19/2012

66

66

60

2012 A-37

6/25/2012

120

8/24/2012

113

113

94.2

2012 A-38

6/25/2012

106

8/20/2012

87

87

82.1

2012 A-39

6/25/2012

91

8/23/2012

89

89

97.8

2012 A-40

6/26/2012

90

8/20/2012

86

86

95.6

2012 A-41

6/27/2012

141

8/20/2012

136

136

96.5

2012 A-42

6/28/2012

100

8/25/2012

96

96

96

2012 A-43

6/29/2012

2012 A-44

6/30/2012

91

8/26/2012

80

80

87.9

2012 A-45

7/1/2012

129

8/25/2012

122

122

94.6

2012 A-46

7/2/2012

111

8/25/2012

105

105

94.6

2012 A-47

7/2/2012

149

38

132

25.5

2012 A-48

7/3/2012

107

8

7.5

2012 A-49

7/5/2012

8/27/2012

13

2012 A-50

7/5/2012

83

2012 A-51

7/5/2012

101

2012 A-52

7/8/2012

2012 A-53

7/8/2012

2012 A-54

7/10/2012

103

2012 A-55

7/11/2012

115

9/6/2012

112

112

97.4

2012 A-56

7/11/2012

85

2012 A-57

7/12/2012

100

2012 A-58

7/13/2012

2012 A-59

7/14/2012

95

9/26/2012

0

0

0

2012 A-60

7/14/2012

135

2012 A-61

7/15/2012

120

9/27/2012

0

0

0

2012 A-62

7/19/2012

91

9/14/2012

85

85

93.4

2012 A-63

7/20/2012

2012 A-64

7/20/2012

104

0

0

0

2012 A-65

7/22/2012

137

2012 A-66

7/22/2012

95

9/14/2012

88

88

92.6

2012 A-67

7/22/2012

146

2012 A-68

7/24/2012

114

0

0

0

2012 A-69

7/25/2012

145

10/9/2012

0

0

0

2012 A-70

7/27/2012

2012 A-71

7/28/2012

110

2012 A-72

8/2/2012

2012 A-73

8/5/2012

141

2012 A-74

8/6/2012

116

10/6/2012

95

96

81.9

2012 A-75

8/8/2012

95

10/22/2012

0

0

0

2012 A-76

8/9/2012

2012 A-77

8/17/2012

133

10/18/2012

124

124

93.2

2012 A-78

8/20/2012

87

8/19/2012

2012 A-79

8/23/2012

132

8/23/2012

114

115

86.4

2012 A-80

8/27/2012

109

8/27/2012

107

107

98.2

2012 A-81

9/3/2012


Gulf State Park - G


ID

Date Found

# Eggs

1st Emergence

# to water

# Hatched

Survival %

2012 G-1

5/31/2012

128

0

0

0

2012 G-2

6/4/2012

124

8/5/2012

118

118

95.1

2012 G-3

6/18/2012

79

8/21/2012

31

31

39.2

2012 G-4

7/18/2012

86

2012 G-5

7/30/2012

2012 G-6

8/12/2012


Laguna Key - B


ID

Date Found

# Eggs

1st Emergence

# to water

# Hatched

Survival %

2012 B-1

5/16/2012

129

7/22/2012

123

123

95.3

2012 B-2

5/19/2012

92

7/26/2012

4

4

4.3

2012 B-3

5/20/2012

94

7/24/2012

86

86

91.4

2012 B-4

5/20/2012

104

7/26/2012

38

39

36.5

2012 B-5

6/1/2012

135

7/25/2012

125

125

92.5

2012 B-6

6/2/2012

120

7/25/2012

113

113

94.1

2012 B-7

6/9/2012

119

7/31/2012

110

110

92.4

2012 B-8

6/13/2012

120

8/6/2012

116

116

96.6

2012 B-9

6/18/2012

112

8/20/2012

62

62

55.3

2012 B-10

6/20/2012

121

8/13/2012

108

108

89.2

2012 B-11

6/23/2012

82

8/16/2012

77

77

93.9

2012 B-12

6/25/2012

135

8/18/2012

133

133

98.5

2012 B-20

6/27/2012

143

8/22/2012

136

137

95.1

2012 B-13

7/4/2012

129

8/27/2012

119

119

92.2

2012 B-14

7/8/2012

119

9/3/2012

89

89

74.7

2012 B-15

7/9/2012

126

9/1/2012

112

112

88.8

2012 B-16

7/9/2012

129

8/29/2012

125

125

96.8

2012 B-17

7/10/2012

94

9/21/2012

0

0

0

2012 B-18

7/11/2012

93

9/3/2012

90

90

96.7

2012 B-19

7/16/2012

85

9/11/2012

75

75

88.2


Orange Beach - H


ID

Date Found

# Eggs

1st Emergence

# to water

# Hatched

Survival %

2012 H-1

5/13/2012

78

7/17/2012

53

55

67.9

2012 H-2

5/18/2012

124

7/21/2012

119

119

95.9

2012 H-3

5/18/2012

125

7/24/2012

121

121

96.8

2012 H-4

6/23/2012

151

8/23/2012

146

146

96.7

2012 H-5

6/29/2012

91

8/27/2012

87

87

95.6

2012 H-6

7/4/2012

115

9/5/2012

106

106

92.2

2012 H-7

7/5/2012

86

9/4/2012

80

80

93

2012 H-8

7/7/2012

101

9/8/2012

98

98

97

2012 H-9

7/9/2012

142

9/10/2012

130

131

91.5

2012 H-10

7/11/2012

92

9/10/2012

81

81

88


West Beach II - C


ID

Date Found

# Eggs

1st Emergence

# to water

# Hatched

Survival %

2012 C-1

5/30/2012

107

7/28/2012

103

103

96.3

2012 C-2

6/4/2012

71

8/7/2012

30

36

42.3

2012 C-3

6/4/2012

98

8/7/2012

87

89

88.8

2012 C-5

6/8/2012

115

8/12/2012

114

114

99.1

2012 C-4

6/8/2012

92

8/11/2012

89

89

96.7

2012 C-6

6/9/2012

101

8/5/2012

37

66

36.6

2012 C-7

6/13/2012

136

8/16/2012

116

118

85.3

2012 C-8

6/17/2012

121

8/31/2012

0

0

0

2012 C-9

6/19/2012

105

8/18/2012

103

103

98

2012 C-10

6/19/2012

81

8/21/2012

70

70

90

2012 C-11

6/23/2012

135

8/19/2012

133

133

98.5

2012 C-12

7/1/2012

137

2012 C-13

7/2/2012

2012 C-14

7/7/2012

2012 C-15

7/15/2012

92

34

34

37