Town of Hilton Head Island Municipal Government Website

Lights Out for the Turtles - Sea Turtle Protection

Loggerhead sea turtles nest on the beaches of Hilton Head Island and other southeast beaches between May and August. Nesting occurs at night - the female crawls slowly to a dry part of the beach and begins to excavate a pit with her flippers. Once the cavity is right she deposits 100 to 125 eggs. She then covers the egg cavity using her rear flippers and packs down sand over the nest to disguise it. When the work is done, the female slowly returns to the sea.

About 60 days after the female lays her eggs, the small turtles begin to hatch. During the cool night, the 2 inch long hatchlings emerge from their sandy nest and scramble toward the sea. It is estimated that only 1 of every 10,000 hatchlings survives to adulthood. There are many reasons for this, some natural, some man-made.

The most important way you can protect Hilton Head Island's loggerhead sea turtles is to turn the lights out! Sea turtle hatchlings usually emerge from the nest at night. They orient themselves toward the brightest horizon and dash towards the sea. Lights from buildings and streets near the beach disorient the hatchlings, and they wander inland where they often die from exposure or predation. If they don’t make it to the ocean quickly, many hatchlings will die of dehydration in the sun or be caught by predators like birds and crabs.

Artificial lights also discourage females from nesting. The Town of Hilton Head Island requires that lights on structures visible from the beach be shielded or turned off after 10 PM from May 1 to October 31. Any windows facing the beach must also be covered with draperies or shade screens.

What you can do to protect the sea turtles from May 1 st thru October 31 st:

  • Make sure no interior or exterior lights from your home, temporary residence or vacation unit illuminate the beach after 10PM ;
  • Floodlights are prohibited. Make sure your exterior floodlights are disabled during nesting season.
  • Make sure exterior wall mounted fixtures are fitted with hoods so that no light illuminates the beach.
  • Low profile luminaries are to be used in parking lots and the lights are to be positioned so that no light illuminates the beach
  • Lights illuminating dune walkovers of any areas oceanward of the dune must be turned off during nesting season
  • Close curtains, blinds or shutters after 10PM to avoid interior lights illuminating the beach
  • Ocean front homes that do not have window treatments are required to have tinted or filmed glass with a shading co-efficient of .45 or less and a minimum 5 year warranty;
  • Report any violations to the Town of Hilton Head Island Code Enforcement Officers.

To report light violations please contact Town of Hilton Head Island Code Enforcement Officers:

Connie Pratt email icon - (843)341-4642
Barbara Barrett email icon - (843)341-4643

Please contact these organizations for more information about the loggerhead sea turtle or to report strandings:

The Coastal Discovery Museumexternal link:
(843) 689-6767

Hilton Head Island Marine Turtle Stranding Representatives:
Sally Krebs email icon- (843)341-4690

South Carolina Department of Natural Resourcesexternal link:
General Information - 1-803-795-6350
Wildlife Hotline - 1-800-922-5431