Turtle-Safe Landscape Lighting in Florida: What Homeowners Need to Know

Written By Kaitlin Maloy

Your Landscape Lighting Could Be Killing Sea Turtles.

And most homeowners don’t even realize it.

Every year along Florida’s coast, thousands of sea turtle hatchlings emerge at night, instinctively moving toward the brightest horizon… which should be the moon reflecting over the ocean.

But instead, they’re being pulled inland by standard white landscape lighting.

Driveways. Uplights. Garage lights. Path lights.

All of it confuses them.

And when hatchlings head the wrong direction, they don’t survive.

The Fix Is Simple:

Turtle-safe landscape lighting uses specialized amber wavelengths that:

• Do not disrupt nesting or hatchling navigation.

• Still provide beautiful, functional illumination.

• Keep your home compliant with coastal regulations.

It’s not about removing your lighting. It’s about upgrading it correctly.

Why This Matters Right Now:

Sea turtle nesting season is already underway.

If your property is in Jacksonville Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, or surrounding Saint Johns County areas that are visible from the beach—even indirectly—your current lighting could be causing harm every single night.

Most people don’t realize:

  • Many coastal areas are actively enforcing lighting violations

  • Fines and required retrofits are becoming more common

What We Do:

At Tortuga Outdoors, we design and install premium, turtle-safe lighting systems throughout Jacksonville, Nocatee, Ponte Vedra Beach, and Saint Johns County that:

• Protect wildlife

• Elevate your home’s nighttime aesthetic

• Replace harsh, outdated fixtures with a clean, luxury look

• Ensure you’re fully compliant and future-proofed

It’s an upgrade…with purpose.

Don’t Wait Until the Height of Nesting Season to Act.

If you currently have standard landscape lighting, now is the time to act.

Because once you know… you can’t un-know it.

The turtles will thank you.

Kaitlin Maloy