Alabama Coastal Wildlife

It is not difficult to find coastal Alabama wildlife. The beaches, rivers, back bays, lagoons, lakes, and bayous are teeming with wildlife, much of it quite easy to find. On a typical walk on the beach, you will see great blue herons wading in the water, brown pelicans flying in a V-formation overhead, and seagulls diving into schools of small fish in the water.

Great blue herons are huge birds, growing up to four feet tall with a seven-foot wingspan. Earlier this year I watched a great blue heron fly into a swamp every night. A few weeks later a baby blue heron flew out of the swamp.

Brown pelicans are particularly good fishermen; they are entertaining to watch as they plunge from high in the sky into the water after an unlucky fish.

Seagulls are the most common of the larger coastal birds. They tend to gather where they can get a free handout. Inland, they frequent shopping center parking lots because fast food restaurants are a good place to get fed. If you are walking on the beach and see flocks of seagulls hovering just above the water surface, you can count on bait fish being underneath the birds and bigger fish feeding on the bait fish. If you have a rod and reel cast your bait under the birds.

Cormorants are not as common on the beaches, but if you visit the beach often you will eventually see one. Particularly good at catching fish. they dive from the water surface. If you spot one under the surface, you might mistake it for a big fish. Eventually it will come up for air and quickly dive again. After the bird gets enough to eat, it will usually spread its wings on the sand to dry them out. We found one doing this last summer and were almost convinced it was dying. But after a while it just flew off.

Birds of prey inhabit the Alabama Gulf Coast. Owls and hawks are common. Golden eagles nest in Gulf State Park.

If you are lucky you might spot a sea turtle. Loggerheads are the most common of the sea turtles on the Alabama Gulf Coast. They can grow to a weight of 250 lbs. Loggerhead turtles are not shy creatures, and sometimes that puts them at a disadvantage. I have had them swim around me while surf fishing at Little Lagoon Pass.

Box turtles are common, but they are not often seen. They are usually found in wooded areas and are most active after a rainy day.

Box turtles can live up to 100 years. They live in a tight area, and if they are moved far away from home, they will probably die trying to find their way back home.

The only time I see soft-shell turtles is when I catch them while fishing in freshwater. The big ones fight like fish.

Red-eared slider turtles are found everywhere there is fresh or brackish water. They like crossing busy highways; I always stop and help them cross.

Alligators fascinate people. That is understandable because these creatures can easily kill a man, and they are the closest relative to dinosaurs left on earth. Alligators are common on the coast, and there are places on the Alabama Gulf Coast where you can expect to see them. But you might meet them when you least expect it-- on a golf course or in retention pond, just to name a couple of places. They also tolerate brackish water, so you might be fishing or swimming with them.

Whitetail deer are common in the Gulf Shores area. They wander close to populated areas near the beaches, not worried that they are going to get shot by a hunter. They are still skittish though, so if you want a picture get one in a hurry. They are continually active at night; we have seen three or four at a time on neighborhood lawns.

Coyotes also become more active after dark. These canines are quite common on the coast. Drive down a seldom-traveled-after-dark road and you could see coyotes. Stop your car and roll down the windows; you might hear them howling even if you do not see them. In the last few decades coyotes have become pests. Most people nowadays are cautious about allowing their pets outside alone.

Dolphins are easily found on the coast. Perdido Pass in Orange Beach is a particularly good place to look for them. The best time of day to see them is early in the day and late in the day. A boat tour will put you in the middle of them.

Many tourists are surprised that snakes inhabit the Alabama Gulf Coast. I guess it is all the saltwater that is to blame for that. The snake species that call this area home are too numerous to mention them all, so I will just name the poisonous ones-- rattlesnakes, water moccasins, copperheads, and even the occasional coral snake. You are not likely to come across a poisonous snake if you are staying on the beach. Off the beach, it is very possible to come in contact with a snake.

While taking our daily walks when we lived on Canal Road, we would see copperheads all the time, usually when we would veer off the road for one reason or another.

Rattlesnakes are not spotted often in populated areas, but they are never far away. Hikers often see rattlesnakes in the swamps and pine forests. I have walked up on two this year. One of them rattled me, one did not-- so watch where you put your feet when walking in wooded areas.

Neither copperheads nor rattlesnakes are aggressive. They are shy creatures, unlike moccasins. Water moccasins will not come after you, but they will stand their ground. Any area on or near fresh or brackish water is where you need to be on the lookout for moccasins.

If you really want to see some, check out rivers and ponds just before dark. You can separate the moccasins from the water snakes by how much of the body is above the water. Water moccasins are generally spotted slithering on top of the water or resting on a water bank. Moccasins swim on top of the water.

Other coastal Alabama wildlife include raccoons, opossums, armadillos, foxes, beavers, bobcats, and, though few people ever see them, black bears, manatees, and the occasional whale shark