Hey everyone, I’m Esther! I’m proud to be an Anna Maria Island girl because I’ve had the support of the staff and volunteers at Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch my whole life. The Turtle Watch crew works very hard to make sure the beach is safe for turtles like me to safely come up to nest. One way they do this is by educating beachfront homeowners about artificial lighting. If I crawl up on the beach and see a white, unshielded light, I will have to turn around and try to find another place to nest, which isn’t ideal for me! White lights are just as dangerous for my hatchlings as well – when they hatch from the nest I dug for them and see a white light, they may crawl toward it and end up in a storm drain, a back yard, or on the road. The best way to protect us from artificial white lights is to use FWC certified amber LED bulbs, shield your fixtures and lower them when possible. As they say, Sea Turtles Dig the Dark!

I was named by my Sponsor, Waterline Villas and Marina Mainsail Vacation Rentals. Check out my marathon migration map, where you can follow along as I swim to raise awareness about the threat of Light Pollution to sea turtles. Please help me raise awareness about my cause by supporting me!

Learn more about loggerhead sea turtles.