Sea Turtles sponsored by Barrier Island Roofing LLC

Welcome back to Coastal Living Waves, the podcast about living well on Florida’s beautiful coast. I’m your host Alec, and today’s episode is brought to you by our friends at Barrier Island Roofing – local experts who help protect homes up and down the Treasure Coast. You can learn more at barrierislandroofing.com.Alright, let’s talk about something special happening right now on our beaches.It’s late July, and sea turtle hatching season is fully underway here in Florida. At the same time, some mother turtles are still coming ashore at night to lay their eggs. This is one of the most magical times of year on the coast… and also one of the most important times for us to be careful.So here’s what every beachgoer needs to know.First – leave the nests alone.
You’ll see marked-off areas on the beach with stakes, tape, or signs. Those mark sea turtle nests. Please stay well away from them. Do not walk through, sit near, or let dogs or kids play around the marked areas. The eggs are just under the sand, and any disturbance can harm them.Second – if you see hatchlings, do not touch them or “help” them.
Baby sea turtles know exactly what to do. They need to make their own way to the water. Picking them up, moving them, or shining lights on them can confuse and endanger them. Just give them space and enjoy the moment from a distance.Third – lights at night matter a lot.
Hatchlings and nesting mothers use the natural light of the moon and horizon to find the ocean. Bright white or blue lights from homes, condos, flashlights, or phones can disorient them and send them the wrong way. The rule is simple: 

• On the beach at night, use red lights only (or turtle-friendly amber lights). 
• Turn off or shield any lights that shine directly onto the beach. 
• If you’re walking the beach after dark, keep flashlights on red mode and pointed down.

These small actions make a huge difference for loggerheads, greens, and the other species that nest on our shores.Alec (continuing):
Living on the coast means we get to share this place with some incredible wildlife. Protecting sea turtles is one of the easiest and most meaningful ways we can give back.A big thank you again to our sponsor, Barrier Island Roofing. Just like we work to protect our beaches and turtles, they work to protect the homes that sit right along this beautiful coastline. If your roof needs attention, now is a great time to talk with a local team that understands Florida weather. Visit them at barrierislandroofing.com.That’s it for today’s Coastal Living Waves. Get out and enjoy the beach — just remember to give our sea turtles the space and darkness they need.Until next time, take care of the coast, and it’ll take care of you.[Outro music + gentle wave sounds – fade out]

Transcript

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Welcome back to the podcast about living well on limited. I'm your host, Alec, and today's episode is brought to you by our friends at Barrier Island Roofing, local executive protect homes up and down the treasure beach. You can learn more at Barrier Islandroofing.com. Alright, let's talk about something special happening right now on our beaches. It's late July, and sea turtle hatching season is fully underway here in Florida. At the same time, some mother turtles are still coming ashore at night to lay their eggs. This is one of the most magical times of year on the coast, and also one of the most important times for us to be careful. So here's what every beach goer needs to know. First, leave the nests alone. You'll see marked off areas on the beach with stakes, tape, or signs. Those mark sea turtle nests. Please stay well away from them. Do not walk through, sit near, or let dogs or kids play around the marked areas. The eggs are just under the sand, and any disturbance can harm them. Second, if you see hatchlings, do not touch them or help them. Baby sea turtles know exactly what to do. They need to make their own way to the water. Picking them up, moving them, or shining lights on them can confuse and endanger them. Just give them space and enjoy the moment from a distance. Third, lights at night matter a lot. Hatchlings and nesting mothers use the natural light of the moon and horizon to find the ocean. Bright white or blue lights from homes, condos, flashlights, or phones can disorient them and send them the wrong way. The rule is simple. On the beach at night, use red lights only, or turtle-friendly amber lights. Turn off or shield any lights that shine directly onto the beach. If you're walking the beach after dark, keep flashlights on red mode and pointed down. These small actions make a huge difference for loggerheads, greens, and the other species that nest on our shores. Living on the coast means we get to share this place with some incredible wildlife. Protecting sea turtles is one of the easiest and most meaningful ways we can give back. A big thank you again to our sponsor, Barrier Island Roofing. Just like we work to protect our beaches and turtles, they work to protect the homes that sit right along this beautiful coastline. If your roof needs attention, visit them at Barrier Islandroofing.com. That's it for today's coastal living waves. Get out and enjoy the beach. Just remember to give our sea turtles the space and darkness they need. Until next time, take care of the coast and it'll take care of you.