Tamara L. Young, PhD, Public Information Director for the World’s Luckiest Fishing Village
TY: It’s a good day when the Mayor and I can meet up to discuss sea turtles! The Destin-Fort Walton Beach Sea Turtle Patrol regularly evaluates nests, and this season we are excited to say that we have 15 nests in Destin. The critical piece is those nests developing and emerging into thousands of tiny little hatchlings and ultimately making it to the Gulf and living long lives. That trek to the water is perilous, though, and that’s where we’re seeing some problems lately. More hatchlings are crawling toward buildings and roads because artificial light is brighter than the beach. What can residents and visitors do right now to help?
BW: The good news is that simple habits save hatchlings. Keep the beach dark after sunset. Turn the balcony and porch lights off. Close curtains on gulf-facing windows. Fill in holes and flatten sand before you leave. Give space to the patrol and early morning crews.
TY: FWC Sea Turtle Management reached out to us this season about disorientation reports. A report might include two or more dead hatchlings found, or live hatchlings found out of habitat, like a road, a parking garage, or even a pool. The reports also estimate which properties may be contributing so we can educate owners. People can also share problem spots with us so we can follow up.
BW: It’s been heartbreaking to see the many pictures of these sad situations. But the good news is that we can make significant strides to fix this through knowledge and dedication from our city and community.
TY: We still have red light friendly flashlights at City Hall to give out, up to two per household for both residents and visitors. But we also need beach property owners to use sea turtle compliant fixtures and bulbs. Porch lights are a big driver of disorientation.
BW: If you own or manage a place by the beach, or help run an HOA or hotel, you can swap bright white bulbs for amber, add shields and aim lights down and away from the beach, put lights on timers or motion sensors, and close curtains or add tint on gulf-facing windows at night. Take a quick evening walk with your team to spot problem lights, share information with residents and staff, and please get your free red flashlights at City Hall.
TY: Many local governments use beachfront lighting ordinances to address this impact. Not that I want more rules, but is that worth exploring for Destin?
BW: Yes, and we will keep it education first. Let’s start with a voluntary Lights Out Destin push and targeted outreach using FWC data, then bring a simple, fair code update for new construction and major renovations so turtle-friendly lighting is the default from day one. If we all do the basics now, most disorientations go away, and future projects will be built right from the start.
Call to action: Keep beaches dark and clear, use red light and report injured or disoriented hatchlings to 850-243-9046 or 1-888-404-3922. Owners, managers, HOAs and hotels, email tyoung@cityofdestin.com if you want a quick evening walkthrough or access to more resources. Let’s light the way to the water, not the road.
