Alabama’s Gulf beaches are nesting grounds for three types of threatened or endangered species of sea turtles: Loggerhead, Kemp’s ridley and green sea turtles. Sea turtle nesting season on the Alabama Gulf Coast runs from May 1st through August 31st.
The loggerhead turtle is named for its large head, which supports powerful jaw muscles that enable them to feed on hard-shelled prey, such as whelks and conch. Loggerheads are the most abundant species of sea turtle that nests in the United States. Juvenile and adult loggerheads live in U.S. coastal waters, but many adults that nest on U.S. beaches migrate from neighboring nations like the Bahamas, Cuba, and Mexico.
The Kemp’s ridley turtle is the rarest of all sea turtles. It weighs between 80-100 pounds and the mature adult is an olive green color. Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are the smallest sea turtle in the world. The species is named after Richard M. Kemp, a fisherman from Key West, Florida, who first submitted the species for identification in 1906. They are primarily found in the Gulf of Mexico, but juveniles are also found in the Atlantic Ocean as far north as Nova Scotia and sometimes even occur in the eastern North Atlantic.
The green sea turtle is a medium to large brownish sea turtle with a radiating or mottled pattern of markings on the shell. The head is small in comparison to the other sea turtles and the biting edge of the lower jaw is serrated. Adult shell lengths range in size from 36-43 inches and weights average 200-300 pounds. They are primarily a tropical herbivorous species. Young turtles live in Florida waters, especially in areas abundant with sea grasses. The greatest cause of decline for green turtles has been commercial harvest for eggs and food, as well as leather and jewelry.
Information & Images “Courtesy: NOAA Fisheries”