Sea turtles expected to hatch soon

DAUPHIN ISLAND, Alabama (WALA) - Volunteers are standing by, waiting for any signs of life near the Dauphin Island pier. Any day now, more than 100 baby sea turtles are expected to hatch.

Tricia Kerr is lending Mother Nature a helping hand. She's one of the volunteers keeping an eye on the nest.

"I've been sitting here, working cross word puzzles, waiting for eggs to hatch," said Kerr. "I have never seen one in person, only on YouTube."

The nest near the Dauphin Island Pier was moved from the west end. Volunteers couldn't put it closer to the water because of the oil spill.

Because the nest is so far away from the water, once the eggs hatch volunteers will scoop them up and carry them closer to the Gulf, where they will drift at sea until they are a foot long.

One nest can produce more than one hundred eggs.

Mike Reynolds with Share the Beach said the nest has Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle eggs. It is the 46th in our area. But Reynold said it is still very special to Dauphin Island.

Sara Johnson, also with Share the Beach, agreed.

"Nesting happens every year, but Dauphin Island hasn't had a documented nest in a few years. So we are excited for these. It is our third nest this summer," said Johnson.

Share the beach volunteers think the eggs will hatch over the weekend.

"Kemp's Ridley's lay their eggs in the morning, and they generally hatch in the morning, too," said Reynolds.

Kerr has told her fellow volunteers if she's not there when the eggs hatch, to call her.

"I am waiting for the phone to ring big time!" said Kerr.

There is no way she's going to miss the big event.

From May through October each year, we share our beach with dozens of mother sea turtles. These endangered animals are looking for a safe place to make a nest where their babies can hatch, then find their way safely into the warm Gulf waters.

Share the Beach rounds up volunteers like Kerr. To find out more information, click here .