ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — Seven teens are accused of pouring alcohol on a sea turtle that was attempting to lay eggs in a nest on an Alabama beach, authorities said.
The teenagers were arrested by Orange Beach police on Thursday, AL.com reported.
Detectives determined the underage beachgoers were drinking alcohol and had poured it on the turtle, WSFA reported. The teens, whose ages ranged from 16 to 18, were from out of state, AL.com reported. They were arrested for underage possession of alcohol, the website reported.
The Orange Beach Wildlife Center and Management Program wrote in a Facebook post that workers on Friday discovered signs of a false crawl, which is when a sea turtle comes to shore to nest but decides not to for one reason or another.
“This female turtle came ashore and did not nest because she was harassed by a group of teenagers. They poured alcohol on her while she was attempting to nest,” the group wrote.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, there are three species of sea turtles known to nest on Alabama’s beaches. The loggerhead, green sea turtles are listed as threatened; the Kemps Ridley listed as endangered. All three species are protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
Group members for the Orange Beach Wildlife Center and Management Program urged beach visitors to respect wildlife.
“While we love our beaches and sharing them with people from all over the country and even world, let’s remember that our native wildlife call this area home and deserve to be respected,” the group wrote on Facebook. “Please watch out for nesting sea turtles, birds, mice and other species that nest along the shores.”
Police are not releasing the exact location of the incident “to protect the sea turtle nest,” AL.com reported.
Federal law protects the sea turtle from being held or harassed, and fines can be as much as $50,000 along with jail time, the website reported.