If you missed the cutoff deadline to volunteer with Share the Beach, a conservation program for Alabama's sea turtle nests through the Alabama Coastal Foundation (ACF), don't worry; there are still plenty of ways you can help.

Leading up to the closing of volunteer registration on April 4, volunteer positions were at capacity for teams on Alabama Point, Orange Beach, Gulf State Park, East Beach, West Beach and Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge.

The only teams with a few positions open by the deadline likely included Laguna Key, Fort Morgan and Dauphin Island, according to Chandra Wright, long-time Share the Beach volunteer and director of environmental and educational outreach for the Lodge and Learning Campus at Gulf State Park.

Wright said the teams will start "mandatory training sessions" the week of April 7 leading up to May 1, which is when the "early morning nest surveys" begin for volunteers.

"These required trainings are one of the reasons why it's impossible for us to have visitors volunteer during their vacations," Wright said, "although we get asked about it all the time."

For those who were unable to sign up to volunteer, Wright said there are plenty of opportunities to help such as donating to Share the Beach or purchasing specific supplies used for sea turtle nest protection.

According to the ACF website, donations can be made to ACF for any amount or specifically to Share the Beach for set amounts. A Share the Beach sponsorship for all sea turtle nests along the Gulf Coast is $5,000, and a sponsorship for nests just along the Alabama Gulf Coast is $1,000.

To sponsor a specific zone on the Alabama Gulf Coast, the cost is $500 for each zone. There are also sponsorships specifically for an individual nest available for $100, and to sponsor one sea turtle hatchling is $50. There is also a student hatchling sponsor option for $20.

Share the Beach also has a registry for this year's equipment and supplies needed, which can be found on the Share the Beach section of the ACF website.

Other "creative ways to give" listed in the ACF donations section include donating hotel points or frequent flyer miles, dining at restaurants that participate in oyster shell recycling, running in the annual charity chase on behalf of ACF, having a drink at the Connect to Your Coast events, shopping online at the ACF store or volunteering for events and programs.

"There are many ways to help the endangered sea turtles, but the best way is to educate yourself about sea turtles and what you can do to help," the website reads.

SEA TURTLE FRIENDLY TIPS

The Share the Beach section of the ACF website lists sea turtle friendly practices for residents and visitors to take part in protecting Alabama's sea turtles.

The tips include ways beachgoers and those who live or stay near the beach can help with mindfulness of light usage, what to do (and not do) when a sea turtle nest is spotted and how to leave the beach before going back home or to where you are staying.

The website states that people should avoid the use of flash photography or flashlights on the beach at night and remember to turn off outside patio lights and pull the curtains on windows shining light onto the night beach.

Sea turtles are guided by the reflection of moonlight to return to the water after nesting or hatching. Bright white lights can disorient or misdirect them toward lodging areas or roadways.

Many areas along the beach have sea turtle friendly lighting. Share the Beach recommends using red filters to put on white flashlights to create a wavelength of light that is not disturbing to sea turtles. There are also red flashlights available for purchase from Mag Instruments that bear the Share the Beach logo and are sea turtle friendly.

Sea turtle nesting season runs from May 1 to Oct. 31. During these dates, sea turtle sightings, nests and hatchings can all be expected.

The website states at least 30 feet of distance should be maintained from adult turtles spotted on the beach. If you notice sea turtle tracks or marked off nests do not disturb them.

If you spot a sea turtle nesting or in distress, call 1-866-732-8878 (1-866-SEA-TURTLE) for the Alabama Sea Turtle Hotline.

Before leaving the beach for the day, the website says beach gear and trash must be collected. Holes dug in the sand must be filled in, and sandcastles or other sand creations must be smoothed out to prevent any sea turtle obstacles.

This is upheld by the sustainable program established by Gulf Shores and Orange Beach in 2007 called Leave Only Footprints. According to its section on Alabama's Beaches website, this program encourages beachgoers to remove all belongings from toys to tents by sunset each day. Anything left on the beaches is to be tossed by beach patrols.

Leave Only Footprints has many components of what not to do when at the beach. One component is avoid walking in the sand dunes, which is prohibited by law in both Orange Beach and Gulf Shores.

Also, avoid digging holes in the sand more than 12 inches deep. This works to protect the nesting sea turtles as well as first responders to beach emergencies.

Something else Leave Only Footprints discourages among beachgoers is keeping pets off the beaches. However, the website does list several pet-friendly beach access spots.

Leave Only Footprints also advises against using bright lights at night and encourages visitors and residents to visit welcome centers in the cities to get red stickers that filter flashlights.

The program advocates recycling and, as the name conveys, leaving only footprints on Alabama's beaches.

SEA TURTLE INFORMATION

As previously reported by Gulf Coast Media, Wright recently spoke at a Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism event on how initiatives like Share the Beach are important to the safety of nesting sea turtles and their eggs.

With seven species of sea turtles in the world and five of them found in the Gulf, Wright focused primarily on the three types of sea turtles that are known to nest in Alabama: loggerheads, Kemp Ridley's and green sea turtles.

Loggerheads are the "No. 1 species that nest in Alabama," Wright said. She said this turtle grows to be about 3 feet in length and can weigh around 300 pounds. Loggerheads prefer to nest at night.

Kemp's Ridley is the "smallest and most endangered of our sea turtles." They grow to about 2 feet in length and weigh around 200 pounds. Kemp's Ridley turtles nest during the day and afternoon. Wright said Kemp's Ridley are most found along the coast of Texas and Mexico and normally nest together in large groups.

A "fairly recent addition to Alabama's nesting sea turtles," green sea turtle nests are rare but not impossible to find on Alabama beaches with a total of six nests in both 2022 and 2023, according to Wright. They grow to be about 4 feet long and weigh around 400 pounds. This type of sea turtle prefers to nest at night.

Both Kemp's Ridley and green sea turtles are not as common as the loggerheads on the Alabama coast, according to Wright's previous presentation.

In 2023 there were a total of 143 nests found, out of which six were confirmed green sea turtles and four confirmed to be Kemp's Ridley nests. Out of 78 total nests found in 2024, one nest was confirmed to belong to each of the types of sea turtles with three nests suspected to have been Kemp's Ridley nests.

As previously reported in another GCM article, all three sea turtles are protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, which means it is illegal to take, touch or even interfere with federally protected sea turtles. A violation can result in up to a $100,000 fine.

While the volunteer deadline for Share the Beach has already passed, check out the volunteer section on the ACF website for opportunities as they arrive and information on what you can do to help. Donations are accepted year-round by ACF at www.joinacf.org/donate.