SATELLITE BEACH, Fla. — It’s officially sea turtle nesting season in Brevard County, and as turtles begin to come ashore and lay their eggs, local cities are reminding residents of turtle-safe lighting ordinances.

What You Need To Know

  • Sea turtle nesting season runs from March 1 to Oct. 31 in Brevard County

  • In Satellite Beach, no artificial lighting is permitted on the beach from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. during the nesting season

  • Artificial lighting can cause nesting sea turtles and their hatchlings to become disoriented as they navigate to the ocean

  • Last year, more than 52,000 nests were laid in Brevard County

In Satellite Beach, sea turtle nesting season runs from March 1 to Oct. 31. During the season, the city’s lighting ordinance requires residents and visitors to keep the beach dark in order to keep nesting turtles and their hatchlings safe.

Artificial lighting can cause sea turtles to become disoriented, as turtles rely on the light of the moon and the stars to make their way back to the ocean. Any other light on the beach can cause nesting turtles to head in the wrong direction.

Carley Kestranek, an environmental scientist for the city of Satellite Beach, said that disorientation from artificial lighting can cause turtles to waste needed energy. 

“If you think about how much they weigh and using the gravity out of the water, the effort it takes for them to actually scoot up the beach alone is a lot to begin with,” Kestranek said. “So, we really don’t want to cause anymore trouble for them to just enter back into the water safely.”

Artificial lighting negatively affects hatchlings, too, as they already have a difficult time making it to the ocean. In Florida, all sea turtle species are either endangered or threatened. 

During sea turtle nesting season in Satellite Beach, no artificial lighting is allowed on the beach from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. This includes all flashlights (including filtered red lights), cell phone lights and non-turtle-friendly lights that can be seen from the beach.

“A lot of things people don’t think about are just closing their curtains,” Kestranek said. “Even bathroom lights left on at night or just sitting down watching TV. The TV glow is bright enough to cast a shadow on the beach at night and really create a very attractive feature for a turtle to walk towards.”

City officials said that any property that can be seen from the beach should have its drapes or blinds closed during nesting season. Officials also said to turn off or shield all unnecessary outdoor lights. If outdoor security lights are needed, only turtle-friendly outdoor lights are permitted — which have an amber glow for long wavelength light, and are shielded and angled downwards. 

For examples of sea turtle-friendly outdoor lights, the city currently has a display from the Sea Turtle Conservancy set up at City Hall. 

“This is allowing residents to come and get an example of what we mean when we talk about wildlife certified friendly lighting,” Kestranek said.

The display is one of the ways Kestranek and the city are working to educate people about helping sea turtles during nesting season. For Kestranek, protecting sea turtles has been a lifelong passion.

“I actually grew up in Satellite Beach and always just loved the environment around here," she said. "The special beach that we have that brings in so many different types of wildlife."

As a kid, Kestranek said she would spend her time at the beach making sure that people were turning off their flashlights to keep turtles safe during nesting season. In a full circle moment, she’s now in charge of the city’s sea turtle lighting program. 

“It’s my passion, and I just can’t stop educating people and just spreading the word about keeping these animals safe,” Kestranek said.

Throughout the season, Kestranek conducts sea turtle lighting surveys. She looks for any lights that could cause turtles to become disoriented, logs them and reaches out to residents on ways to fix them.

“From there, I just give recommendations on how to fix it and what I would like to do, like close your curtains, or shield the structured light,” Kestranek said.

As the nesting season ramps up, Kestranek said she’s looking forward to hearing success stories. She hopes residents and visitors alike will take action to keep turtles safe. 

“People changing their lights and it actually changing the behaviors of the turtles and actually being able to witness that will make my day,” she said.

Kestranek said no matter where you are in Central Florida, remember to keep the beach dark, flat and clean during sea turtle nesting season. 

Last year, more than 52,000 nests were laid in Brevard County alone. In Volusia and Flagler counties, nesting season starts in May. All seasons run until Oct. 31.

For information on local sea turtle lighting regulations near you, visit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s sea turtle protection ordinances list and interactive map.

Reagan Ryan is a 2023 — 2024 Report for America Corps Member, covering the environment and climate across Central Florida for Spectrum News 13. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.