Orange Beach police arrested seven juveniles on Thursday after they harassed a sea turtle while it was attempting to lay a nest on the city’s beachfront.
Police reported that officers found the juveniles with the sea turtle and that, during an investigation, they learned alcohol was involved. The investigation, according to police, revealed that the juveniles poured alcohol on the sea turtle.
The seven juveniles were arrested for underage possession of alcohol, according to police. Their ages ranged from 16 to 18. All of those arrested were from out-of-state.
The harassment of the protected wildlife was turned over to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for further investigation.
Police are not releasing how many juveniles were involved. The exact location of the incident is also being withheld “to protect the sea turtle nest.”
Federal law protects the sea turtle from being held or harassed, and fines can be stiff. Penalties for those who do vandalize a protected nest area can include jail time. The fines can run as much $50,000.
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. The turtles, according to information on the Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism’s website, can live up to 50 years, reach a weight of 500 pounds and measure four feet in length.
To lay eggs, sea turtles make an annual pilgrimage to the same beach where they hatched. Some of the nests can include more than 100 eggs.
Alabama Coastal Foundation and Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism officials have expressed concerns about the rise in so-called “false crawls,” in which sea turtle activity has been interrupted by human disturbances. Those incidences occur when a female turtle comes ashore to nest but gets spooked – usually by people brandishing bright flashlights – sending the turtle back into the water to release her eggs. The end result is fewer baby turtles.
The concerns have occurred as more people flock to the beaches for vacations while turtles typically form their nests.
Sea turtles begin forming their nests around May 1 and end around August 31 in Alabama. Nesting can also last into late October.
The Link LonkJune 26, 2021 at 12:35AM
https://ift.tt/3dyvvht
Teens arrested for allegedly pouring alcohol on sea turtle at Alabama beach - AL.com
https://ift.tt/2CoSmg4
Sea
/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/CZF6NULMVVMEXHOP7JK5BSPQUM.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment