Share the Shore, Y’all

Share the Shore, Y’all is a program for anglers that provides information on how to share our natural resources with sea turtles and prevent sea turtle injuries and fatalities.

YOU Can Help Protect Sea Turtles by Following these Guidelines:

• It is illegal to deliberately harm, harass, capture or kill sea turtles because they are protected by federal and state laws
• Do not touch or feed bait, fish, chum, or any other items to sea turtles
• Do not capture or bring onto boats/land
• Stay 50 yards or 150 feet away and do not disturb if they are eating, floating, resting, or sleeping
• Slowly move away at the first sign of disturbance; do not chase or follow
• Limit observation time to less than 30 minutes
• Dispose of all trash and monofilament fishing line in proper bins
• Keep pets leashed and away
• Report sightings on the iSeaTurtle app at tx.ag/iseaturtle

Learn More About

Additional Resources

How to Avoid Harming Sea Turtles While Fishing from Land

How to Avoid Harming Sea Turtles While Boating

iSeaTurtle Card

Texas State Sea Turtle Card

6 Ways You Can Help Sea Turtles Fact Sheet

Sea Turtles of Texas Poster

Barney and the TED Coloring Book

Frequently Asked Questions

When Should I Call the Sea Turtle Hotline?

• When you find sea turtles entangled in trash or other debris
• When you accidentally hook a sea turtle while fishing
• When you accidentally collide with a sea turtle while boating
• When you find sea turtles that are stuck in rocks along jetties
• When you find dead sea turtles
• When you find sea turtles that appear injured or sick
  • Signs of illness may include many barnacles growing, tumors on the body, floating, and allowing close contact

What Happens When I Call the Hotline?

• After calling the hotline, you will select the area of the Texas coast where you are located from the menu provided:

Extension Number	Location
1	Louisiana border to Freeport including Bolivar Peninsula, Galveston Island, Galveston Bay, and Surfside
2	Quintana Beach, Bryan Beach, Wolf Island, Sargent Beach, and San Bernard Wildlife Refuge
3	Matagorda Peninsula, Matagorda Bay, Espiritu Santo Bay, and San Antonio Bay
4	San Jose Island, Mustang Island including Port Aransas
5	Nueces Bay and Corpus Christi Bay
6-226	North Padre Island area from Padre Island National Seashore to the Upper Laguna Madre (8 AM – 5 PM CDT)
700	North Padre Island area from Padre Island National Seashore to the Upper Laguna Madre (AFTER 5 PM CDT)
701	South Padre Island area from Boca Chica Beach to Lower Laguna Madre (before 5 PM CDT)
702	South Padre Island area from Boca Chica Beach to Lower Laguna Madres (after 5 PM CDT)
703	If law enforcement is needed, dial this extension to reach Texas Parks and Wildlife

• You will then be connected with responders in your area who will provide instructions on how to help the turtle
• If responders are coming, they will rescue the turtle and transport it to a local rehabilitation center

Where Can I See Rescued Sea Turtles in Texas?

• Rescued sea turtles can be found in various zoos, aquariums, and rehabilitation centers across Texas! Some facilities include:
  • Amos Rehabilitation Keep – Port Aransas, TX
  • Houston Zoo – Houston, TX
  • Texas Sealife Center – Corpus Christi, TX
  • Texas State Aquarium – Corpus Christi, TX
  • Sea Life Aquarium – San Antonio, TX
  • Sea Life Aquarium – Grapevine, TX
  • Sea Turtle Inc. – South Padre Island, TX