GULF SHORES, Ala. — Editor’s note: The Islander will be publishing a series of articles about sea turtles and the nesting season, which concludes Oct. 31. Watch for this column throughout the summer, or for more information, log onto alabamaseaturtles.com or fws.com/daphne.

In the springtime, when the weather turns warm and new life emerges, folks from across the country flock to the Alabama Gulf Coast. There’s just something about those lush, sugary-white beaches that’s darn right irresistible. We have been blessed to have a piece of paradise right in our own backyards.

What you may not know is we’re not the only ones who like to take to the beautiful beaches of Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Fort Morgan and Dauphin Island. Every year, sea turtles make their way out of the crystal Alabama waters, and nest on our beaches. Loggerheads, and the occasional Kemp’s Ridley are most commonly found here.

Amazingly, these turtles somehow nest on the same beach which they were born. The eggs remain on the beach for about two months before they hatch. Then, the hatchlings instinctively follow the light of the moon back into the Gulf where they will begin the remarkable journey of life.

Sea turtles haven’t always had it easy. Loggerheads are threatened, while Kemps Ridley’s are endangered. That means they are protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Sometimes, artificial light on the beach confuses the hatchlings. As a result, the baby sea turtles will go inland instead of into the Gulf where they belong. Then, they are often killed by predators or quickly become road kill. But dwindling numbers are turning around thanks to efforts of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; wildlife officials can’t do it alone. That’s why volunteers are crucial for the well-being of sea turtles in Alabama.

Share the Beach is a local volunteer group aimed at helping and protecting these endangered creatures. Participants truly roll-up their sleeves during sea turtle nesting season, which starts in May and ends in October. Volunteers are set to patrol different stretches of the beach.

Bennis Thornhill has been volunteering for seven years. She patrols about 15 miles of beach on Fort Morgan.

“This year has been very, very busy for me,” Thornhill said. “I’ve been out three times a week, and I love every minute of it.”

If volunteers find a nest, it is immediately marked with four stakes and orange tape. When hatching time is near, the volunteers become full-time babysitters, ensuring the safety of the baby sea turtles.

Thornhill’s favorite part is watching the baby turtles hatch. The event, referred to as a “boil,” happens at night for loggerheads, daytime for Kemp’s ridley.

“The volunteers come out at 6:30 at night and listen with a stethoscope. You can hear the hatchlings scratching around,” Thornhill said. “The hatchlings all come out at once. We place a black tarp on the sand to form a pathway to the water.”

So far, volunteers have found 24 nests this season.

Denise Rowell is the public affairs specialist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Alabama Ecological Services Field Office. She can be reached at 251-441-6630 or denise_rowell@fws.gov.