Loggerhead Turtles on the Alabama Gulf CoastThough the most well known sea turtle on the Alabama Gulf Coast is the loggerhead turtle, two other species make their home in Alabama - the green sea turtle and the Kemps Ridley. The loggerhead and the green sea turtle are on the threatened list and the Kemps Ridley is endangered. Sea turtles aren't routinely spotted here so consider yourself fortunate if you spot one, and if you have a camera handy take photos because it might be awhile before you see another one.   Sea turtles are not shy creatures. I have had loggerhead turtles swim around me while surf fishing. It is best to give way to them and let them come closer to you only if they choose to do so. Loggerhead turtles are huge creatures, reaching an average weight of 250 lbs. When swimming in the open water they cast a big shadow. Some species of fish follow them around because they like the shade on hot days. Cobia fishermen always check out the area under a sea turtle and are often rewarded. Millions of sea turtles once roamed the seas of the world, but over the last few hundred years man increasingly exploited them for food and clothing. I can't imagine how a person could feel good about wearing turtle skin boots, but turtles are routinely slaughtered in other parts of the world. Sometimes the leather is smuggled into the United States. Other threats to sea turtles include loss of habitat, pollutants, litter that they mistake for food (especially plastic) and fishing nets. In Alabama female crawl out of the water from May until the end of October to build a nest for approximately one hundred eggs. The turtles lay their eggs and then leave. Two or three months later, with no help from their mother, the baby turtles hatch and set out on their big journey to the sea.
Turtles tend to lay their eggs on the same beaches year after and it remains a mystery why they prefer certain beaches. About fifty to eighty turtle nests are found on the Alabama beaches each summer. About ninety percent of hatchlings survive their journey to the water. That's a much better statistic than some other parts of the world where the reverse is true - ninety percent die on their way to the water. Sharks are the only serious natural threat to adult sea turtles, but hatchlings have to worry about a wide range of predators - everything from ants and crabs to raccoons and coyotes. Hatchlings aren't home free when they find the water; there they get swallowed by fish and dolphins. A big threat to turtles is artificial light from buildings, streets and parking lots which confuse both adults and hatchlings. Heavily populated beaches with big buildings like Orange Beach and Gulf Shores are particularly vulnerable. The turtles mistake the light for wave reflections and they sometimes wander off in the wrong direction. Beach visitors and residents are encouraged to turn off their lights and even close their curtains and shades during nesting season. Beach debris like chairs and umbrellas should also be removed from the beach during nesting season. Hatchlings have difficulty navigating around these things, and sometimes when they succeed they are too exhausted to survive. If you come across a turtle, a turtle nest or turtle eggs on the beach leave them undisturbed, and it is best for the turtles to keep your distance. If a nesting turtle is disturbed while she is preparing or actually in the process of laying eggs, sometimes she will just simply quit.
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