Sea tutles hatchlings on Florida beaches

This is the time of the summer when sea turtle nests begin to hatch which means it’s even more important for beachgoers and beachfront homeowners to control their lights at night. Eggs from threatened loggerhead, endangered green, and endangered leatherback sea turtles have been incubating in the warm sands for 45 days or more so soon baby sea turtles will begin their journey up through the sand, across the beach, into the waves and across miles of open water out to the weed lines. Many of the hatchlings never make it to the gulf because of man made light sources on the beach which disorient the baby turtles. Many of them fall prey to predators or dehydrate when they get caught in the sun. Beachfront lights, bright flashlights and lanterns on the beach can confuse the hatchlings causing them to become trapped on the beach. There are a few simple steps people can take to protect the creatures– like turning off outdoor lights that are not needed for human safety, and focus lights that are needed directly where they are needed, limiting the amount of light that spills onto the beach. Use red or amber LEDs or bug bulbs outside; those bulbs emit a long-wavelength light that is less likely to confuse or disorient sea turtles on the beach. And if you must use a flashlight on the beach, keep the beam focused on the ground in front of you. Do not point it down the beach or toward the water. And of course, if you see hatchling sea turtles on the beach, don’t touch them unless you absolutely have to to protect them from imminent danger. The best course of action is to call Sea turtles at Risk at 927 2103 and they will send someone out to protect the turtles.