This month begins the highly anticipated turtle nesting season on our local beaches! And while it can be one of life’s greatest thrills to catch a mother turtle laying her precious eggs and packing them away inside a cavern of sand, we’ve compiled a short list of “best turtle practices” for both visitors and locals alike, to respectfully make the most of this most wonderful time of the year.
1. Limit your use of artificial light
Baby sea turtles rely on the light of the moon to guide them towards their new home in the ocean. Flashlights and street lamps, however, can confuse the newborns, leading them astray. When you’re out by the beach at night, try to limit your use of artificial light sources, and see how the turtles see—by the light of the moon!
2. Keep the majority of your beach walks sunny
We can’t in good conscience tell you that walking along the beach at night isn’t a magical experience, with the stars twinkling and the moon smirking overhead. During turtle nesting season, however, it’s those very stars and moon that guide the baby turtles on their way! Walking the beach at night can both disrupt and disturb mother turtles and their babies. Keeping your evening strolls along the beach’s sidewalks is a small gesture that can make a positive impact on our wildlife.
3. Experience a Turtle Tour!
If you’re as excited about turtles as we are, we highly recommend you experience a guided turtle viewing tour! Visit established nesting sites under the cover of night with a certified expert and tour guide who can safely guide and inform you about our local shell-back celebrities and their seasonal goings-on. Our guests at Turtle Beach Resort and Inn merely need to ask our concierge for tour recommendations and we’ll be happy to help!