Turtle-Friendly Lighting: Make Your Beachfront Property Wildlife Safe

Sea turtles rely on natural lighting cues for survival. Nesting female turtles require dark, quiet beaches to shield them against predators. This allows them to safely lay their eggs and return to the water. However, excess beachfront lighting can dissuade female sea turtles from nesting and lead them to lay their eggs in risky or hazardous locations. 

When the sea turtle hatchlings are ready to emerge from their nest, they instinctively use the moonlight to guide them toward the water. Artificial lighting from streetlights, pathway lights, and buildings disrupts their natural instinct and can mistakenly lead them away from the ocean. This disorientation decreases sea turtle hatchlings’ chance of survival by exposing them to predators or exhaustion. Across shoreline states like Florida, where 90% of US sea turtle nesting occurs, it is important to utilize turtle-friendly lighting to assist in the conservation of nesting sea turtles, sea turtle hatchlings, and other wildlife.

Turtle-friendly lighting is designed to minimize the harmful effects of artificial light on sea turtle instincts while maintaining necessary illumination for human use. These lights are characterized by their long wavelengths, low intensity, and beam cutoff. Turtle-friendly lights appear amber or red and emit only long wavelengths of light at 560nm and above. On the other hand, white light typically has a peak wavelength of around 450-460 nanometers (nm) which sea turtles can easily confuse with the light reflected off the ocean. As a result, using amber wildlife-friendly light greatly reduces the disorientation caused by traditional artificial white lighting.

Lighting designed for wildlife is also lower in intensity and directed downwards to reduce light spillage onto the beach. Full cutoff fixtures are commonly used to control how much light is visible from the beach. In many cases, turtle-safe lights also have a lower lumen output than traditional fixtures. These design elements help ensure that beaches remain dark enough for sea turtles to navigate naturally, but still offering useful lighting for humans.

*It is important to note that true amber light is more effective than phosphor-converted lenses since the phosphor-converted light wavelength registers below 560 nm. When choosing turtle-safe lighting, be sure to double-check how the light is being classified.

Sea turtles are protected under the Endangered Species Act, so it is imperative to keep sea turtles safe against the harms of artificial light at night. All property owners on or near beaches expecting sea turtles must make sure their lighting meets the necessary requirements set by state permitting programs. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission provides the following guidelines for how to keep your lighting turtle safe. 

1. Keep it low
   • All exterior lighting in beachfront properties must be mounted as close to the ground as possible and must emit the lowest lumens that are required for its intended purpose. This eliminates tall light fixtures that might be confused with natural moonlight.
2. Keep it long
   • The wavelength of light coming from all exterior lighting fixtures must have a long wavelength of 560 nanometers or higher. The Florida FWC recommends the following types of light: Red LEDs, Orange LEDs, and Amber LEDs.
3. Keep it shielded
   • All turtle-safe lights must be directed completely downward or sufficiently covered so as to direct the light toward the ground and make it less visible from the beach. This helps eliminate unnecessary light pollution to prevent sea turtles from mistaking artificial light with the moonlight.

Besides installing turtle-friendly lights, the FWC recommends other steps you can take to reduce your light pollution on beachfront properties. To minimize light pollution from interior lights, keep your blinds and curtains closed, place moveable light sources such as lamps away from the window, or apply window tint ranging from 15%-45%. For exterior lighting, limit the amount of decorative lighting around your property. The FWC also recommends using tall fences and bushes to create a shield or buffer between your home and the beach. To reduce the amount of time your exterior lights stay on, utilize a motion detector and use the shortest time setting.

Following these guidelines will help eliminate the dangers of artificial light at night for sea turtles and other wildlife. For more information regarding sea turtle lighting regulations, refer to the Florida FWC official guidelines here.

Our turtle-friendly lights are engineered to protect sea turtles and other coastal wildlife. Shop our selection here.