SEA TURTLES

Loggerhead Sea Turtles are a threatened species and are protected by federal, state, and local laws. Females nest May 1 through August 31 above the high water mark on beaches along Hilton Head. Sea Turtles nest on Hilton Head Island beaches in the darkness to avoid overheating and disturbance. They are distracted by interior and exterior lights from beach front houses.

Do not touch or tamper with the nests. Approximately two months after females lay their eggs; five-inch hatchlings emerge and return to the sea. Please do not pick up the baby turtles and help them to the water. They will eventually make it under their own power. Help from a friendly person confuses their internal navigation system and most that are touched by human hands will die. While survivors will live 100 years or more, less than one percent of the loggerhead Sea Turtles live from nest to ocean. To help protect this fragile species, outdoor lights on all beach front property must be turned off after 10pm from May 1st until October 31st.

Sea turtle hatchlings usually emerge from the nest at night. They orient themselves toward the brightest horizon and dash towards the sea. Visible lights from buildings or streets near the beach disorient the hatchlings, and they wander inland where they are almost certain to die.

The Town of Hilton Head Island requires that lights visible from the beach be shielded or turned off from 10pm to 6am from May 1 to October 31. Any windows facing the beach must also be covered with draperies or shade screens. Please see the attached Turtle Friendly light bulbs that should be used on and in beach facing homes.