Free guided walks at Gulf State Park Pier will continue this fall

Free guided walks at Gulf State Park Pier will continue this fall

Free one hour guided walks at Gulf State Park Pier in Gulf Shores, already scheduled every Monday at 10 a.m. through Sept. 4, will continue throughout the fall, but not specifically on Mondays, said GSP naturalist Kelly Reetz during a recent guided tour she led with assistant GSP naturalist Kasie Mobley. Those participating in the family friendly walks should meet at the Gulf State Park Fishing Pier concession stand. Visit alapark.com/gulf-state-park for info about the fall guided walk schedule.

Eight things I learned during a one hour guided pier walk

1. Pelicans can hold up three gallons of water in their pouches. 2. The water depth is 30 ft. at the end of the pier. 3. It’s usually dolphins pushing small fish to the surface of the Gulf, where they are easy pickings for shorebirds. 4. Debris from the old Gulf State Park Pier, destroyed during 2004’s Hurricane Ivan, was used to build a reef adjacent to the new pier. 5. There is a pipeline connecting the pier with the Claude Peteet Mariculture Center on The Intracoastal Waterway that is the source for the center’s salt water for its fish holding tanks. 6. GSP Pier has a fish cleaning station and bathrooms mid-pier. 7. Even though many are hooked every single day, sharks must be cut loose before they reach the pier deck. 8. Three of the four species of shark found around the pier are on the critical species list. (By Fran Thompson)