Sea Turtles and Lights

Nesting | Hatching | The problem with lights | Artificial lighting affects nesting | Reducing the impact of artificial lighting.

Florida Power & Light Company and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission would like to inform beach residents and visitors of the adverse effects of beach lighting on sea turtles and offer solutions that will aid in conserving sea turtles that nest on developed beaches.

Sea turtles are a part of FPL's ongoing commitment to the environment.

This topic discusses

• nesting
• hatching
• the problem with lights
• the effect of artificial lighting on nesting and
• reducing the impact of artificial lighting on sea turtles.

Nesting

Each summer, Florida beaches host the largest gathering of nesting sea turtles in the U.S. Female sea turtles emerge from the surf to deposit eggs in sand nests and later, tiny hatchlings struggle from their nests and scramble to the ocean. Nearly all of this activity takes place under cover of darkness and relies upon natural light environment too often disrupted by the addition of artificial lighting.

Hatching

50 to 65 days after eggs were placed in the nest, hatchling sea turtles tear themselves free of their papery eggshells beneath the sand and with periodic bouts of thrashing, make their way to the surface. At nightfall, as many as 100 hatchlings burst together from the sand and immediately scramble toward the ocean. Moving quickly from the nest to sea is critical for the survival of hatchling sea turtles.

The problem with lights

What happens when artificial light is visible

On beaches where artificial lighting is visible, the hatchlings' important journey to the sea is disrupted. Hatchling sea turtles emerging from nests at night are strongly attracted to light sources along the beach. Consequently, hatchlings move toward streetlights, porch lights or interior lighting visible through windows, and away from the relative sanctuary of the ocean.

Results of misdirection

Hatchlings so misled fail to find their way to the sea, having succumbed to attacks by predators, exhaustion, drying in the morning sun, or strikes by automobiles on nearby parking lots and roads. Quite literally, a single light left on near a sea turtle nesting beach can misdirect and kill hundreds of hatchlings. Cases where hatchlings have been lead to their death into flames of unattended fires are testimony to the strong attraction hatchlings have for light.

Artificial lighting affects nesting

Artificial lighting also affects the nesting of female sea turtles. Studies have shown that brightly lighted beaches are less frequently used as nesting sites. In addition, females attempting to return to the sea after nesting, like hatchlings, also can be lead astray by nearby lighting.

Reducing the impact of artificial lighting.

Learn more about how you can reduce the impact of artificial lighting.