Ready, set, turn the lights out!
May 1 approaches and with it comes the official beginning of sea turtle nesting season in Florida. For beachfront residents, renters and businesses, this means a blackout period until Oct. 31, the end of the hatching season.
Female sea turtles emerge from the water to nest on island beaches. Bright, artificial lights can discourage the turtles from laying a nest. The lights also can disorient nesting sea turtles as they make their way back to the Gulf of Mexico.
Sea turtle hatchlings, after tunneling from a nest buried in the sand, instinctively use the reflection of the moon on the water to find their way to the Gulf of Mexico. Light from buildings and street lights that are visible on the beach can disorient the newly hatched turtles, causing them to move toward the road and other hazards instead of toward the water and food. The lights also can discourage female turtles from coming onto the beach to nest.
According to Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring executive director Suzi Fox, when turtles disorient, they can become injured or killed by passing motorists, lost or more vulnerable to predators. If the tiny turtles are not found quickly, they often die from exposure or lack of nutrition.
When hatchlings are getting ready to emerge from their nests, they nourish themselves on the egg contents to give them the energy to climb out of the nest, crawl to the Gulf of Mexico and swim out to the wrack line, where they rest and renourish.
Fox said only about one in 1,000 hatchlings survive into adulthood.
During sea turtle nesting season, it’s important to either turn out all artificial lights visible from the beach at night or make them turtle-friendly. Indoor lights can easily be shaded by closing curtains or blinds. White outdoor light bulbs can be exchanged for red or amber lights that do not distract sea turtles. Turtle-friendly outdoor fixtures that focus light downward instead of out also can be installed and motion sensors help reduce the risk of lighting on the beach.
The Sea Turtle Conservancy lists three rules for making lights turtle-friendly during season — keep it low, shielded and long.
To keep it low, use low-mounted lights and low wattage bulbs. Avoid flood, spot and pole lights. To keep it shielded, use fixtures where the light bulb, lamp or glowing lens are not visible without looking underneath the fixture. Keeping it long involves using yellow, amber or red light bulbs, which emit a longer wavelength of light than white bulbs.
For more information on sea turtles and nesting season, contact AMITW at suzilfox@gmail.com or call 941-778-5638. The Sea Turtle Conservancy can be found online at www.conserveturtles.org.