“Sea” Turtle Time

 

Turtle time! No. No. I am not talking Ramona Singer from the Real Housewives of New York and all her antics.

Funny story. Look at the picture of the facade of Omni Amelia Island Plantation. Do you notice anything “strange”? Look closely. Do you notice the amber-colored lights off to the left?

I asked and assumed that the bulbs were replaced for Halloween ambience. I simply also assumed they had not finished replacing all the bulbs yet. Good assumption, right? WRONG!

Well, I got enough nerve and asked the concierge. We both chuckled when I found out there is a more important purpose to the installation of amber-colored lights.

Do you know the purpose? If you don’t keep reading.

The turtle nesting beach of Florida is facing many unnatural and natural threats.

Companies have started offering LED amber colored light bulbs to hotels in Florida, in the hopes that they can meet the standards for Turtle Light Certification. The amber light is being used instead of traditional, white light to combat turtle nesting and hatchling issues which are usually due to artificial lights fixed on the beaches.

Recent days on the beaches, there have been used strong artificial lights which affect the breading places of turtles and their generations have been highly affected. As for we need to go and protect our environment, we also need to protect the wild life and creature under the water. Most of the human actions have highly affected the whole natural life, as compared to natural disasters and downturns which have changed the world as whole.

The nesting habits of turtles have been badly affected by seawalls and imported sand, and this has also changed the natural ecosystems, making some areas inhospitable nesting sites, and most of all, beachfront development has posed a formidable threat because the artificial lighting of beach areas disorients baby turtles and they end up dying from lack of water.

This has been a declared a crime to affect the turtles and their hatching activities. Annually, from April-November, sea turtles nest on Florida’s beaches. Female sea turtles lay approximately 100 eggs per nest and prefer dark beaches for their nesting; however, much of Florida’s coastline is understandably brightly lit. This poses a threat to nests, which are not properly hidden. Sea turtle hatchlings are instinctively attracted to the moon and stars reflecting off the water. Artificial lighting distracts hatchlings away from the ocean and towards beachfront properties and many hatchlings die before they reach water.

Interesting. Now when you see the amber-colored bulbs along the FL beaches, you know they are for much more than ambience.

Save the Sea Turtles, y’all!