Residents, visitors asked to protect wildlife during nesting seasons

Nov 09, 2023

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Tourists are not the only visitors enjoying the Golden Isles’ spacious beaches and scenic environments this summer.

Turtles like loggerheads and diamondback terrapins, and a variety of shorebirds and sea birds are also here for the summer months, sharing the space and needing protection.

Loggerhead nesting season is in full swing. As of May 31, there are 632 nests on Georgia beaches, according to the state's Department of Natural Resources. That total isn't as high as what was recorded in May 2022, when 902 nests had been laid. Last year was a record-setting season for loggerhead sea turtle nesting.

On St. Simons, the most populated barrier island in Georgia, there are five nests so far.

At this point in the season, keeping the beaches dark at night is one of the important ways to ensure that sea turtles nesting on local beaches are successful in their efforts, said Catherine Ridley, vice president of education and communications for One Hundred Miles and coordinator of the SSI Sea Turtle Project. And when hatchlings begin to emerge later this summer, a dark beach will give them the best chance of surviving their first moments of life when the hatchlings travel from their nest to the ocean.

"Artificial lights deter female sea turtles from nesting and cause hatchlings to become misoriented, or to crawl the wrong direction away from the ocean," Ridley said. "Lighting is a perpetual issue on St. Simons, and one that doesn't just impact our own turtles and nests, but those on surrounding islands. We’ve participated in the zoning ordinance revision process for years, to no avail — and meanwhile, every season, we’re losing turtles and scrambling to fix a problem we already know the answer for."

A nest laid about two weeks ago on the beach at Gould's Inlet on St. Simons is at risk of being lost if action isn't taken to remove nighttime lighting at homes and vacation rentals along the beach.

"There's particular urgency in that nest three was laid just across from the homes and rentals of Gould's Inlet, where unfortunately, lights have been extra bright lately," Ridley said. "All it takes is one person leaving one porch light on the night the nest hatches, and we could lose all its hatchlings and all the investment that went into protecting it throughout the season. The clock is ticking."

Glynn County needs a stronger lighting ordinance, Ridley said, to prevent the perils that turtles face when lights are visible on the beach at night.

"Our current, decades-old lighting ordinance is woefully outdated and doesn't actually do anything meaningful to protect nesting sea turtles," she said. "That's not surprising — just like our clothing and hairstyles have changed in the last 30-plus years, so has lighting technology and our understanding of sea turtle biology. The good news is, there are easy fixes available, including ones already implemented by Jekyll Island and virtually every coastal community in Florida and across the Southeast."

Anyone on the beach at night is encouraged not to use a flashlight or cellphone light. Homeowners, businesses, renters and others with a property along the coast are asked to keep lights turned off at night.

Bright cascades of artificial light on the beach lead to habitat loss because it removes wide stretches of what would otherwise be a needed nesting area for sea turtles.

When hatchlings emerge from their nest, they know to move in the direction of the brightest part of the horizon, which should be the moon or the sky over the ocean.

The community's voice and actions matter in the overall protection of wildlife like nesting sea turtles, Ridley said.

"We need the community's help to do two things. One, we need to make our entire beach as dark as possible, and fast," she said. "That means immediately fixing the exterior lighting problem at Gould's so we don't lose nest three or any other hatchlings to lights.

"And two, it's essential that we be included in and able to add accurate input into the ordinance revision now. Otherwise, we’re going to end up with more of the same every year — a beach lighting ordinance that does nothing to help turtles on our beaches, dwindling habitat for nesting females and dead hatchlings that have been led astray by lights."

Other simple ways to protect turtles nesting and their hatchlings this summer are to take home any beach gear like tents and chairs, to fill in holes and to pick up trash on the beach. The goal is to remove any obstacles the turtles may encounter.

Nesting areas for turtles and birds are roped off by volunteers, and beachgoers are asked to stay out of these areas to avoid any nest disturbance.

Loggerhead nesting continues through the summer, and hatchlings will continue emerging from nests possibly through October.

SHOREBIRDS AND SEA BIRDS

Shorebirds like American oystercatchers and Wilson's plovers, and sea birds like least turns will continue their nesting season through August.

Abby Sterling, director of the Georgia Bight Shorebird Conservation Initiative for Manomet, said it's important to give the birds as much space as possible so they can have a successful nesting season. Beachgoers should be especially aware of this during high tide periods each day, she added.

"Our shorebird chicks … they’re cute, fuzzy, mobile little guys that move all over the place, and after they hatch out from their eggs they could move around the beach with their parents," she said. "So at this time of the year we’ve got chicks on the beaches, and it's really helpful for people when they’re on the beach to stay on the wet sand, not going above the tidelines, not going into the dunes, which helps sea turtles as well."

Chicks can be hard to spot, as they blend in with the sands, but an agitated bird on the beach may be a sign that a chick is nearby.

"Being aware and thinking about the beach as habitat can be a very helpful way for people to try to minimize their negate impacts," Sterling said.

Dog owners are asked not to bring their pets to the beach or to at least keep them on leashes as their presence on beaches can lead to less nests and lower productivity among the nesting birds, Sterling said.

"Even a well-behaved dog looks like a threat to a shorebird," she said.

BOATING AND DRIVING SAFETY

Safe boating and cautious driving will also protect the area's wildlife. A number of turtles are killed by boat strikes every year, Ridley said, as are other wildlife like manatees. She encouraged boaters to maintain a safe speed while out in the water.

She also urged drivers to keep a sharp eye out for diamondback terrapins, a brackish water turtle that lives in the salt marshes and that comes out during the summer to lay its eggs.

"Diamondback terrapins are another charismatic coastal species — our only brackish water turtle and an important part of our salt marsh ecosystem," Ridley said. "But like other reptiles, they must lay their eggs on land, leaving nesting terrapins particularly vulnerable to being hit by cars. We can all help terrapins by watching our speed on coastal roadways and maintaining a safe distance between cars, so there's ample time to spot and avoid hitting them.

"It isn't always safe to stop and save a turtle that's crossing the road — and we would always urge caution in those cases. When possible, make sure to relocate her in the direction she was originally traveling."

LOCAL RESPONSIBILITY

Georgia's coast is a unique place, Sterling said, that is important from an international perspective for nesting wildlife.

"The Georgia barrier islands are part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network, and they’re important throughout the year," she said. "Even if you’re visiting for the summer or you come multiple times a year, there's a really good opportunity that you’ll encounter some pretty sensitive wildlife. That's one of the things that makes the Georgia coast so special."

Sea turtles are a prominent part of Glynn County's public image, Ridley said.

"They’re front in center in marketing materials, a big part of our quality of life and one of the top reasons that many tourists visit our coast," she said. "But we can't only protect turtles when it's convenient. Right now, Glynn County has an antiquated beach lighting ordinance on the books that doesn't help turtles at all. There are simple fixes that will be a win-win for sea turtles and for our community that loves and benefits from them."

It's a local responsibility to take care of the wildlife that — even temporarily — call Georgia's coast home, she said.

"We’re so fortunate to live in such a special place — our coast is unparalleled in its diverse landscapes and the extraordinary wildlife that surround us at almost every turn," Ridley said. "But with those unique opportunities, comes responsibility. It's incumbent on all of us, as individuals and as a community, to share our beach and waterways responsibly.

To learn more, visit facebook.com/ssiturtles or facebook.com/groups/GeorgiaShorebirdAlliance.

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