What to know about sea turtles

Basic Sea Turtle Biology

Sea turtles are air-breathing marine reptiles that spend most of their lives in the ocean, inhabiting tropical and subtropical habitats. There are seven species of sea turtles worldwide; six of those species can be found in U.S. waters. Those six species are listed as either endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act, which provides legal protection and support for conservation activities. For more information about sea turtles visit: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/sea-turtles#overview.

Each sea turtle species has their own food preferences. Loggerheads mainly eat hard-shelled organisms such as conchs, welks, crabs, and lobsters. Green sea turtles prefer to eat seagrasses and algae. Leatherbacks eat gelatinous prey such as jellyfish and sea squirts.

Sea turtles vary greatly in size. The smallest sea turtle is the Kemp’s ridley, with adults weighing between 70 to 100 pounds and 2 feet in length. Adult loggerheads, the most common nesting turtle in Alabama, weigh between 200 to 350 pounds and can be up to 3.5 feet in length. The largest sea turtle species is the leatherback, with adults weighing between 750 to 1000 pounds as adults and can be up to 6 feet in length. In Alabama, this species can be found offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.

Sea Turtle Size Comparison Chart

How to Report a Stranded Sea Turtle

In Alabama, report stranded (sick, injured, entangled, hooked, or dead) sea turtles to the 24-hour hotline: 1-866-732-8878. NOAA Fisheries Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network’s Data Summary and Visualization Application provides information on sea turtle strandings along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coasts: https://connect.fisheries.noaa.gov/content/cb3f4647-9e4f-4f3d-9edf-e7a87a1feef6/

If you see a stranded sea turtle:

• Call the stranding network immediately
• Do not return the animal to the water
• Do not remove any entangling line or gear
• Keep crowds and noise to a minimum

Nesting Information

In Alabama, sea turtle season runs from May 1st, when mom sea turtles come to nest, through October 31st, when nests have finished hatching. Sea turtle nests can be found on all of Alabama’s beaches from Dauphin Island’s west end to Alabama Point. Three species of sea turtles nest on the Gulf Coast: loggerheads (most frequent), Kemp’s ridley and greens. When nesting, female sea turtles dig a few feet down into the sand to create an egg chamber where she deposits between 80-120 eggs. The eggs incubate for about 2 months before they are ready to hatch. Once the nest hatches, sea turtle hatchlings make their way to the ocean by following the brightest light which is usually moonlight reflecting on the water. Alabama Coastal Foundation’s Share the Beach program is responsible for the conservation and monitoring of nesting sea turtles; more information can be found on their website https://www.joinacf.org/stb.

Sea Turtles and Coastal Lighting

Why is excessive artificial lighting a problem for sea turtles on our beaches? Bright lights on nesting beaches can disorient and disturb both nesting and hatchling sea turtles, making it difficult for them to find their way to the ocean. Sea turtles rely on an innate behavior to find the ocean; on a natural, undeveloped beach, sea turtles head towards the brightest horizon which is typically the ocean where the night sky is reflected. Using these instincts, hatchlings or nesting sea turtles will crawl towards artificial light sources on heavily lit beaches because the artificial light will appear so much brighter than the natural environment. Coastal developments and flashlights both serve as distractions for sea turtles. When sea turtles spend more time on the beach trying to find the ocean, they are at greater risk for dehydration, exhaustion, and predation.

How can you help?

• Turn off lights visible on nesting beaches or use wildlife-friendly lighting. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has sea turtle lighting guidelines available here: https://myfwc.com/media/18511/seaturtle-lightingguidelines.pdf
• Tint windows that face the beach
• Close opaque curtains or blinds after dark to cover any windows that are visible from the beach
• Do not use flashlight or cell phone lights while walking on the beach at night. If you need lighting, use a sea turtle friendly red flashlight as red, orange, or amber lights are less disorienting for sea turtles.
• To report disoriented sea turtles call 1-866-732-8878
• More information on artificial lighting can be found here https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/sea-turtle/lighting/ and here https://myfwc.com/research/wildlife/sea-turtles/threats/artificial-lighting/