Sea turtle hatching - walk the beach carefully

Sea turtle nests on Franklin County beaches have begun to hatch which means it’s even more important for beachgoers and beachfront homeowners to control their lights at night.

So far about 55 nests have hatched on St. George Island, out of the over 230 that were discovered on the island this year.

Without man-made light to confuse them, sea turtle hatchlings use the moon to lead them across the beach and into the gulf.

But man made light sources disorient the baby turtles and lead them away from the Gulf.

Many of the hatchlings fall prey to predators or dehydrate when they get caught in the sun.

There are a few simple steps people can take to protect the baby turtles– like turning off outdoor lights that are not needed for human safety, and focusing 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 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 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.

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