Cell Phone Lights a Bad Mix with Nesting Sea Turtles

Nesting sea turtles, hatchlings, cell phone lights, and flash photography are a bad mix according to FWC. State wildlife officials are calling cellphones the new “21st century hazard.” Recently, the number of reported false crawls in Florida has increased, which has led FWC to issue a warning on cell phone use at  

night on the beach during sea turtle season. Here on Marco Island, the record shows 310 false crawls for this year, which is 80 more than last year. 

Here is a likely scenario: it is sea turtle season; you’reon the beach and it is pitch black. You reach for your cell phone flashlight (people used to carry a flashlight, but smartphones now have built-in flashlights). Suddenly, you come across a mother sea turtle dragging herself ashore carrying about 100 eggs! What a rare camera-worthy moment! You snap a photo with the flash on andalsotakeaselfietoshare online.  

According to FWC, “even a smartphone’s lighted screen could disrupt egg-laying and also disorient hatchlings trying to find the ocean. Any sort of interruption of that process could be considered a violation of the Endangered Species Act.”   

Save a Sea Turtle - don’t blind them with your smartphone lights! Dr. Robbin Trindell of FWC suggests, “if you must have light, use a red LED flashlight,  

adjust cell phone screens to dark mode and don’t take flash photos.”