2021 Sea Turtle Season Officially started from April 15 to October 31, you can be a life saver.
Sea turtle hatchlings emerge after dark and use the light of the night sky to find the water. Hatchlings will crawl away from the water and toward light sources, so turn off all artificial lights visible from the beach and never use flashlights or cell phone lights on the beach during nesting season. If necessary, use only approved amber or red LED bulbs.
While sea turtle hatchlings are particularly vulnerable to disorientation due to artificial light sources, nesting female turtles may also be disturbed by bright lights, loud noises, and people approaching too close. These disturbances may cause a female turtle to become disoriented leading to a “false crawl,” where the female fails to lay her eggs and returns back to the Gulf.
You can help sea turtles that nest on Florida’s beaches, you just need to follow below rules
- Turn off or shield all lights that are visible from the beach. Do not use flashlights or cell phone lights on the beach. If necessary, use amber or red LED bulbs.
- Do not disturb the screens covering nests. They prevent predators from eating the eggs and the hatchlings emerge through the holes without assistance.
- Remove all beach furniture and equipment from the beach at night.
- Dispose of fishing line properly to avoid wildlife entanglement.
- Fill in large holes that can trap hatchlings and nesting sea turtles.
- Do not disturb nesting turtles – please do not to get too close, shine lights on, or take flash photos of nesting sea turtles.
Pick up litter.
