Unhatched sea turtle eggs
Photo courtesy Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge.
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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, 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 purchase a new Polaris ATV. It is estimated that 3,603 hatchling safely made it into the Gulf of Mexico.
In the 2007 season, there were fifty-four loggerhead nests and one Kemps Ridley. 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 were identified. Through the contributions made by our dedicated volunteers, it is estimated that 3520 hatchling safely made it into the Gulf of Mexico.
From 2003 – 2008 an estimated 17,390 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 965-6378 or 1-866-SEA TURTLE to report it.
How Are They Doing? - Seasonal Statistics
As the new season begins for 2010, check the totals below to see the latest information on this season's activity.
Check the totals below to see the latest information on this season's activity. Also, visit www.SeaTurtleVolunteers.org for pictures of turtle nests and crawls.
AlabamaPoint - I
ID |
Date Found |
# Eggs |
1st Emergence |
# to water |
# Hatched |
Survival % |
I-1 |
6/15/2010 |
105 |
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I-2 |
7/14/2010 |
125 |
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I-3 |
7/25/2010 |
97 |
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Dauphin Island - J
ID |
Date Found |
# Eggs |
1st Emergence |
# to water |
# Hatched |
Survival % |
J-1 |
6/23/2010 |
106 |
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East Beach - E
ID |
Date Found |
# Eggs |
1st Emergence |
# to water |
# Hatched |
Survival % |
E-1 |
6/28/2010 |
122 |
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E-2 |
7/28/2010 |
83 |
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Fort Morgan - A
ID |
Date Found |
# Eggs |
1st Emergence |
# to water |
# Hatched |
Survival % |
A-1 |
5/28/2010 |
95 |
7/20/2010 |
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A-2 |
5/31/2010 |
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A-3 |
6/1/2010 |
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A-4 |
6/6/2010 |
132 |
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A-5 |
6/11/2010 |
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A-6 |
6/21/2010 |
155 |
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A-7 |
6/23/2010 |
90 |
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A-8 |
6/24/2010 |
127 |
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A-9 |
6/25/2010 |
94 |
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A-10 |
6/27/2010 |
114 |
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A-11 |
7/4/2010 |
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A-12 |
7/4/2010 |
87 |
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A-13 |
7/5/2010 |
128 |
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A-14 |
7/6/2010 |
127 |
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A-15 |
7/8/2010 |
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A-16 |
7/15/2010 |
41 |
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A-17 |
7/17/2010 |
115 |
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Gulf State Park - G
ID |
Date Found |
# Eggs |
1st Emergence |
# to water |
# Hatched |
Survival % |
G-1 |
6/13/2010 |
127 |
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|
|
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Laguna Key - B
ID |
Date Found |
# Eggs |
1st Emergence |
# to water |
# Hatched |
Survival % |
B-1 |
5/22/2010 |
127 |
7/18/2010 |
120 |
120 |
95 |
B-2 |
6/26/2010 |
87 |
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B-3 |
7/13/2010 |
102 |
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B-4 |
7/17/2010 |
122 |
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B-5 |
7/22/2010 |
109 |
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B-6 |
7/24/2010 |
120 |
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Orange Beach - H
ID |
Date Found |
# Eggs |
1st Emergence |
# to water |
# Hatched |
Survival % |
H-1 |
6/28/2010 |
75 |
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West Beach II - C
ID |
Date Found |
# Eggs |
1st Emergence |
# to water |
# Hatched |
Survival % |
C-1 |
5/30/2010 |
116 |
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C-2 |
6/15/2010 |
110 |
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