DID YOU KNOW that Highland Beach has more annual sea turtle nests than Boca Raton and Delray Beach? In anticipation of the upcoming sea turtle nesting season (March 1^st – October 31^st), it is important to keep your distance from sea turtles and their nests on the beach. Sea turtles are protected, so you should allow hatchlings to crawl toward the ocean on their own. Any interference or disturbance, including getting too close, can cause hatchlings to become confused and lose their way. Their trek to the water from their nest is part of the process that helps them orient themselves to their surroundings and for females to remember their home beach. 

Bright lights from buildings, cellphones, or cameras can cause them to become disoriented, leading the hatchlings to stray away from the shoreline where they need to swim and start their life. If they are unable to reach the ocean quickly, they can become dehydrated and exhausted, making them an easy meal for predators.

You can make a difference for Florida’s sea turtles. Follow these tips and share them with your community:

• Keep beaches dark. From dusk to dawn, turn off any lights not necessary for human safety. Use long wavelength amber LED lamps for lights that must stay lit and shield lights, so they are not visible from the beach. Remember to close shades or curtains at night.
• No flash photos. If you are on the beach at night, don’t take flash photos or use bright cellphones or flashlights. This can cause turtles to become disoriented and crawl away from the ocean, putting them at risk.
• Remember, sea turtles are protected by law. Keep your distance and give sea turtles space if you see one on the beach. Never touch a nesting turtle because it might leave the beach without nesting if disturbed.
• Clear the way at the end of the day. Beach furniture, boats, toys, and trash left behind on the sand can become obstacles that block crawling sea turtles. Fill in any holes dug in the sand. Holes can trap turtles and they also pose a safety risk to humans.

Please report sea turtles that are sick, injured, dead, entangled, or are in danger to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922 so trained responders can help. For information on the Town’s new Sea Turtle Lighting Ordinance, please contact Town Planner Ingrid Allen at 561-637-2012 or iallen@highlandbeach.us.