Artificial lighting, especially that which is on the beach-facing portion of coastal homes, is a major threat to sea turtles as it can cause disorientation for both nesting mothers and hatchlings. Since sea turtles orient toward the water using the relatively bright horizon of the sea, lighting from homes, streetlights, and other structures can draw turtles inland. Disoriented turtles waste precious energy, and for hatchlings, walking further into the dunes rather than towards the water means almost certain death via predators or due to heat as the sun rises. Further, bright lighting can deter nesting mother's from laying their eggs.
Many coastal towns have regulations that require lights to be turned out after a certain time during nesting season, as well as building requirements for new homes that include turtle-friendly lighting. Door and window vendors now offer "turtle glass" options for coastal homes that transmit 45% or less of visible light to the outside. Closing blinds and turning lights out completely after dark are of course a sure way to prevent light transmission. The Sea Turtle Conservancy provides some examples of sea turtle friendly lighting at the link below:
https://www.conserveturtles.org/beachfront-lighting-turtle-friendly-fixtures-lights/
Artificial lighting on structures is not the only source of disorienting light, however. Beachgoers with flashlights, fires on the beach, and lights from beach-adjacent roads and parking lots can also cause issues. Beachgoers can help by using only red flashlights on the beach, ensuring headlights are not focused on the beach and are off while parked, and by completely extinguishing fires before 10PM or earlier depending on local beach regulations. To learn more about the importance of keep our beaches dark, check out this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wijgIlxFITA
Our turtle patrol team carries red flashlight covers in our beach vehicles. Please feel free to ask for one!
Be sure to check out this article about the changes our neighbors just to the South are doing to prevent sea turtle disorientation:
https://www.postandcourier.com/news/sc-beach-town-helps-sea-turtles-by-installing-less-distracting-lights/article_6e55628a-bfe3-11eb-9975-bbebd70fc8b9.html
Image Credit: Sea Turtle Conservancy