A Quick Naples Update: It's Sea Turtle Season, and Your Porch Light Matters More Than You Think
https://www.naplesgov.com/naturalresources/page/sea-turtles
If you live on or near the water in Naples, this one's for you.
The City of Naples just shared a mid-season nesting update, and there's good news mixed with a reminder worth taking seriously. Nest counts are actually up this year — 555 nests so far, 73 more than this time last year. Disorientations, where hatchlings get confused and wander away from the Gulf instead of toward it, are also down, thanks in large part to the City's Code Compliance efforts.
But a stretch of strong wind and high tides recently pushed water further inland than usual, washing out several nests — without a single named storm involved. It's a good reminder of just how fragile this process really is. Only about 1 in 1,000 hatchlings survives to adulthood, so every nest genuinely counts.
Here's where homeowners come in. The City used the update to bust a few common myths about "turtle-friendly" lighting:
- Brighter isn't safer. Harsh lighting actually creates glare and shadows. Low, shielded fixtures do a better job.
- Amber bulbs alone don't make you compliant. Color matters, but so does keeping lights low to the ground and shielded from the beach.
- It's not just outdoor lighting. Interior lights spilling out through windows can be just as disorienting to nesting turtles and hatchlings as your porch light. Closing curtains or blinds after dark genuinely helps.
- One light really can make a difference. Naples currently sits high on the light pollution scale, so even a single uncovered fixture can be enough to pull hatchlings off course.
The fix doesn't have to mean sacrificing curb appeal. With the right shielding, placement, and warmer wavelength, your home can stay well-lit and beautiful while still giving hatchlings their best shot at reaching the Gulf safely.
If you're a homeowner near the beach — or thinking about becoming one — this is exactly the kind of local detail worth knowing. Small changes now make a real difference for our coastline through the rest of nesting season.
For fixture recommendations, the Sea Turtle Conservancy and Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission both have great resources.
