Shedding (Less) Light on Turtles

2023 was another amazing year for sea turtles on Hilton Head Island beaches – 353 nests. Amber Kuehn and the Hilton Head Sea Turtle Patrol have done an outstanding job of documenting, protecting, observing, and analyzing the success of each nesting season of the federally protected and endangered Loggerhead Sea Turtles.

This year the emergent rate was 70.3 percent, or 248 nests produced a successful hatch. Unfortunately, the hatchlings from 25 nests (about 2,500 to 3,000 baby turtles) were misoriented or disoriented and did not make it to the ocean. Misorientation is when the hatchlings head straight back, away from the water. Disoriented hatchlings wander in multiple directions, but not to the water. In most cases, this is due to homes with lights shining toward the beach. Palmetto Dunes beaches cause 48% of the mis and disoriented hatches on Hilton Head. Our two-mile stretch is the worst on the island for this unfortunate outcome.

In 2021 the Town of Hilton Head updated the Beach Lighting Ordinance to better protect the hatching success of sea turtles nesting on our beaches. The Ordinance was updated for three primary reasons.

1. The topography has changed – the sand dunes on the beach are smaller and at times totally washed away
2. Houses are getting taller – more interior and exterior lights are visible from the beach
3. Sea turtle knowledge has expanded – we know more about nesting and hatching behaviors

There is a HHI Code Enforcement Officer and Sea Turtle Patrol members who monitor beachfront lighting. A fine of up to $1,000 may be levied for out of code lighting. The fine is issued to the homeowner, not a renter or management company. If you have a beachfront home, you can have a free lighting evaluation by the Code Enforcement Officer. Most recommendations are simple and inexpensive.

What can you do to shed a little less light on these magnificent creatures? Lights out 10 PM to 6 AM on ocean facing fixtures. Use downward facing and opaque shields and surrounds. Stand on the beach and look, if you can see the bulb, it needs to be shielded. Clearly label switches so visitors or renters know which lights to manage. Call the Town offices and request a lighting evaluation. Visit www.seaturtlepatrol.org