Local Wildlife

World Wildlife Day is this Sunday. This day is meant to celebrate and raise awareness of the the world’s wild animals and plants. This year their focus is on “big cats” but we would like to take this time to shine a spotlight on 2 of our beloved local wildlife in the Orange Beach, Gulf Shores area.

Sea Turtles

Alabama shores are home to three different turtle species (Loggerhead, Green Sea Turtle & the Kemps Ridley) who make the special journey to our beaches every year around May to start their nesting process. You can see these baby sea turtles hatch and make their way to the ocean any time between July and October. In 2017, 126 nests hatched along our beautiful beaches! This is truly a sight to be seen! Share the Beach is doing a lot to keep these animals safe and there are ways you can help too. Here are a few simple ways you can help:

•  Avoid using flashlights or flash photography on the beach at night.
• Turn off outside patio lights and shield indoor lights from shining onto the beach at night.
• Do not disturb sea turtle nests. 
• Leave sea turtle tracks undisturbed.
• Do not leave trash on the beach.  

Dolphins 

Anyone who has visited our area knows that you’re pretty much guaranteed to see a dolphin a day during your vacation. Most all of our guests enjoy starting their day on a balcony watching the dolphins play in the calm, morning waters of the Gulf but if you want to get up close and personal with the dolphins we always recommend an excursion with The Fun Boat Dolphin Cruise. On this cruise you don’t just see the dolphins; you learn about them and get to partake in a water gun fight! Who doesn’t love a good water fight on a hot day? Gulf Shores & Orange Beach was recently voted in to the top 10 Best Dolphin Sighting Destinations in North America.  

We hope you visit us this summer season and experience all of what our paradise has to offer including the wildlife!  

Published on Thursday, March 1, 2018