Beach Behavior Rules
What you can do
Remove sun umbrellas, sun loungers, and other beach furniture from the beach.
At night, turn off or cover bright light sources visible from the nesting beach.
Do not dig up nests.
Do not touch or move nest markers or protective cages over nests.
Do not touch hatchlings. They must find their own way to the sea.
Do not light fires at night on beaches where sea turtles nest.
Do not use vehicles on the beach.
Research conducted worldwide has shown that the following threats can negatively affect sea turtle nesting:
Beach furniture left out after sunset restricts the available space for nesting.
Artificial lighting of beaches at night disorients turtles and their hatchlings.
Noise and human presence on nesting beaches at night disturb turtles and hatchlings.
Vehicles on the beach compact the sand, which affects nesting and hatching success.
Beach cleaning with heavy machinery negatively affects nesting and hatching success.
Destruction of sand dunes degrades the natural nesting habitat.
Tree planting and coastal construction (ports, buildings, roads) alter the physico-chemical composition of the sand, cause erosion, degrade the natural breeding habitat, and affect the nesting and hatching success of turtles.