Sea Turtle Nesting Season

May 1 to October 31


New crawl


In 2022, the Town adopted new rules for Sea Turtle Conservation. Windows and doors/sliders are required to have a light transmittance (LT) of 45% or less AND have a window cover installed. 

Read the Sea Turtle Conservation Ordinance. Please review the rules to make sure your property is compliant.

To help these protected species survive, please remember to:

    • Turn off unnecessary lights
    • Make outside lights turtle friendly:
      • Long wavelength, wildlife friendly bulbs
      • Downward directed fixtures
      • Low to the ground
      • Fully shielded from beach view
    • Block interior lights from beach view
      • Use black out curtains
      • Set an alarm to close the curtains at 9 p.m.
      • Move interior lights away from windows
      • Install windows with Light Transmittance rating of 30% or less
    • Clear the Path
      • Remove beach furniture & other obstructions
      • Fill in holes on the beach before leaving for the day

If you see a turtle on the beach, do not disturb it with lights or photos or noise. It is best to quietly back away and let her lay eggs and return to the ocean.

2022 Sea Turtle Conservation Flyer

For local sea turtle news and more info on how you can help, visit the Turtle Time website. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I buy turtle friendly bulbs?  The Sea Turtle Conservancy provides a list of retailers: https://conserveturtles.org/beachfront-lighting-turtle-friendly-fixtures-lights/

How do I know if the fixture is and bulb is turtle friendly?  FWC provides a Wildlife Lighting Certification to make it easy to determine. Look for the FWC Certification on the packaging. More information can be found on the FWC website:
https://myfwc.com/conservation/you-conserve/lighting/criteria/certified/

Can I use yellow “bug lights” or yellow, orange, and red colored “party lights”?  No. Although the bulb's color seems compliant, they are emitting short wavelength light that sea turtles are sensitive to, causing them to get disoriented.

Do I need curtains if I already have tinted turtle glass? Yes, 45 percent transmittance does not mitigate light pollution from interior lights enough to prevent disorientations of sea turtles. Therefore the Sea Turtle Ordinance requires window covers to be installed.  Window coverings with low light transmittance such as black out curtains are recommended to shield interior lights from the beach.

Turtle Time Poster _2017