Lighting

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Caution – some flashlights and fixtures have white (full wavelength ) lights inside a red filter. These are NOT turtle friendly.  If you do use a true red or amber flashlight for safety reasons, please POINT THEM DOWN AND KEEP SHIELDED WITH YOUR HAND.  USE THEM ONLY AS NEEDED like to get down steps to the beach. Once on the beach, turn them off. Your eyes will adjust. Moonlight is the right light.

Mother turtles coming up onto the beach to nest can be easily frightened off.  Disoriented hatchlings may go astray, using up energy they need to swim once in the water and can be caught by predators as they wander around. 

Artificial light can be harmful to both wildlife and to humans especially the shorter-wavelengths of blue and violet. White lights contain these wavelengths. Both animals and plants rely on natural cycles of night and day, dark and light. 

YOU CAN HELP KEEP THE TURTLES SAFE

 An increasing problem on our beaches are beach walkers use of flashlights and cell phones. Please remember to turn off flash photography and turn down the back-lighting on your cell phone. We suggest you enjoy the beaches during the day and leave the beaches to the wildlife at night. 

While sea turtles don’t see some colors of light as well as they can see other colors, they CAN see ALL colors (wavelengths) of light. Their eyes are less sensitive to amber and red wavelengths, so these are considered more turtle friendly. 

Properties away from the beach with up-lighting and night-lighting add to sky-glow, the diffuse light scattering into the sky and reflecting off clouds.  Sky-glow is worse when we have low cloud cover and can contribute to disorienting turtles, both adults and hatchlings.  

Caution – some flashlights and fixtures have white (full wavelength ) lights inside a red filter. These are NOT turtle friendly.  If you do use a true red or amber flashlight for safety reasons, please POINT THEM DOWN AND KEEP SHIELDED WITH YOUR HAND.  USE THEM ONLY AS NEEDED like to get down steps to the beach. Once on the beach, turn them off. Your eyes will adjust. Moonlight is the right light

KNOW that both Sarasota and Charlotte Counties have local ordinances that restrict bonfires and lights on the beach.  

USE RESPONSIBLE OUTDOOR LIGHTING- use light only where needed always considering the impact on humans, wildlife and their habitats. 

PLEASE RETROFIT WITH TURTLE FRIENDLY LIGHTS INSTALLED PROPERLY - Use warmer colored lights. Limit the amount of blue-violet shorter wavelength light

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Direct light only where it is needed. Use shields and point lights downward so that it doesn’t spill beyond where needed. 

Use the lowest level needed. Consider that many surface conditions may reflect more light into the night sky.  

Turn it off  -Use timers or motion detectors to have light available when needed, dimmed when possible, and turned off when not needed. Advertising signs should have timers and not be left on all night long. 

• Get together with friends and family and go outside at night. Turn off all lights and move as far away from artificial lighting as you can.  

• Talk about light pollution and the importance of dark skies with friends, family, neighbors, your homeowner’s association, or government representatives about why protecting our night environment is so crucial. 

• Add Celebration of International Dark Sky Week on April 21-28, 2025 to your calendar