Adjust Beach Lighting for Sea Turtle Nesting Season

Sea Turtle Nesting Season is  March 1st thru October 31st. For millions of years female sea turtles have been coming ashore to lay their eggs on beaches. In the past the hatchling turtles were guided to the ocean by an instinct to travel away from the dark silhouettes of the dune vegetation and toward the brightest horizon which was the light from the sky reflecting off the ocean. In present times however, many coastal areas are highly populated. It is important to adjust beach lighting for sea turtle nesting. There are many artificial lights near the beach that can deter females from nesting and disorient hatchling sea turtles. The hatchlings travel inland toward the artificial lights, where they often die from dehydration, are preyed upon by fire ants and ghost crabs, or sometimes crawl onto the road where they are run over by cars.

One of the easiet ways to decrease beach light pollution is to simply replace existing light bulbs with those that emit light less detrimental to sea turtles. This can be done during a routine maintenance. Studies have shown that light in certain wavelenths does not affect hatchling and nesting sea turtles as musch as others. By simply modifying the bulbs, beachfront property owners can make a significant difference to prevent hatchling from from urban light disorientations. For more wildlife lighting information check out our webpage.

Let’s all make sure to do our part and become Dark Sky compliant. For more information on becoming Dark Sky compliant and to find out what options are available to you call Decorating Elves and we can discuss what fixtures, lamps, and shades will work for your property.

For additional outdoor  lighting blogs and topics visit Decorating Elves and for a pro in your area check out Outdoor Lighting National Consumer