08/07/2026
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Last night was a powerful reminder that use of white artificial lighting in beachfront homes impacts the lives of the wildlife that call the shore their home. 🐢💚
Just before 11:00pm, about ten minutes before the moon was scheduled to rise, DNA #30 hatchlings emerged. The horizon was dark over the ocean and the brightest light they detected came from inside a nearby beachfront home.
The result? Confused baby sea turtles walking in circles and heading away from the ocean they instinctively seek.
Thankfully, under the direction of our amazing beach supervisor Vicki K Schroeck and help from spectators, we were able to guide every hatchling to the water after approx. 30 minutes of patience and encouragement. It was incredible to witness our collective group of sea turtle enthusiasts working together. The success of this nest truly took a village!
But here’s the sad reality: if the hatchlings had emerged later in the night, with no one present, mostly cloudy skies hid the moonlight and they would have followed the white lights away from their ocean home and the results could have been…🥺.
This is why “lights out” or replacing beachfront white lighting with amber lighting during sea turtle nesting season is so important. A single indoor white light can change the course of an entire nest.
We are thankful for the support of our spectators, especially the young girls vacationing with their family from Pittsburg, PA, who sat with us two nights in a row and got to experience listening in to the hydrophone to document the frequency and length of the sound of “waterfalls”. Everyone who helped gave these tiny flippered travelers the start they deserved. 🐢💚
Last night was an extraordinary Topsail Turtle Project conservation success story!
This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Topsail Island by KBSTRRC is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, ES Permit 26ST05.
