As sea turtles begin to nest along the Gulf Coast, it is important for beachgoers to coexist with these endangered species.

The Alabama Coastal Foundation (ACF), which runs the Share the Beach initiative, said prioritizing safety and conservation is important when encountering a sea turtle.

The organization says turtles lay an average of 110 eggs per nest. Share the Beach volunteers monitor all 47 miles of Alabama's beach-front coastline, searching for new nests, marking them and protecting the nests and hatchlings from "natural and human-related dangers."

Between 2010 and 2020, an estimated 70,786 hatchlings have made it to the water from Alabama's beaches. Loggerhead, Kemp's ridley and green turtles use Alabama's beaches as nesting grounds.

“Sea turtles see a different spectrum than we humans do,” said Mark Berte, executive director of ACF. “Those white flashlights that people use for crabbing and other purposes really disorient sea turtles, not only turtles that are going to try to lay their eggs into a nest, but also the hatchlings get disoriented by those white lights.”

The nesting females and hatchlings — ACF's patrols for turtles May 1 through Aug. 31, and the nesting season continues through Oct. 31 — search for light from the horizon above the water to make their way to the ocean. If a white light is used, this could cause them to get confused on the direction of the water.

Red and amber LED lights have a longer-wavelength and do not interfere with the turtles.

Condos across the Gulf Coast have included turtle-friendly lighting on the outside of the buildings.

“There has been a lot of research done on lighting effects to sea turtles, and what the researchers have found is that higher wavelength of light is less disorienting to sea turtles,” said Shannon Holbrook, fish and wildlife biologist at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “It is not saying that the turtles can’t see those lights, they are just not as disorienting.”

According to Holbrook, being uninformed is what causes beachgoers to disrupt the sea turtles.

“People come from all over, and when they are out on the beach at night and see a sea turtle come up, they are really excited because it is a cool thing,” Holbrook said. “A lot of people that see them, they are not meaning to harm them. They just do not understand that that is something they should not do.”
When traveling to the white sands along the Gulf Coast, refill holes, pick up trash, and ensure you give these turtles ample space to ensure a successful and undisturbed nesting season.

To report any turtle sighting or concern for sea turtles, call 866-SEATURTLE (732-8878).