Lights Out During Nesting Season

Sea turtle hatchlings use the light of the moon to get to the ocean, so artificial lighting visible from the beaches can be confusing and make it impossible to reach their final destination — the ocean. That’s why the most important way we can protect these hatchings is to keep the outdoors dark during nesting season by following the Town Light Ordinance.

Sea turtles are reptiles. To avoid overheating in the summer sun, they nest and hatchlings emerge in the cool evenings. A mother sea turtle will crawl out of the water across the wet sand and select a nest site above the high tide line in the dry sand. Bright artificial lights shining onto the beach from nearby homes or hotels can be distracting for them and may cause them to turn around and not lay their nest. These lights will also cause confusion for hatchlings that emerge from their nests on cooler summer evenings and look for the moon’s reflection on the water to guide them to the ocean.

To protect nesting sea turtles and hatchlings during the months of May to October, the Town of Hilton Head Island has a lighting rule that requires residents and businesses, like hotels along the beach, to turn off outside lights, use amber-colored lights outdoors with a shield to direct light downward, and shade inside lights from the beach from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. If you are visiting or staying on the beach, close your blinds and turn off exterior lights after dark.

You can also help by using a red beam flashlight for nighttime walks on the beach. If you see a nesting sea turtle or hatchlings, stay a good distance away and do not shine any light directly onto them.

Town Light Ordinance Regulations – Effective May 1 to October 31

• If your building is visible from the beach, turn off your outside lights at 10:00 p.m.
• If your interior lights are visible from the beach or cast light on the beach, close your blinds or drapes at 10:00 p.m., or turn them off completely.
• This ordinance also prohibits digging holes in the sand more than 12 inches deep, leaving personal belongings on the beach overnight, or leaving trash behind. This gives turtles a clear path to lay nests and return to the ocean.