Coastal Responsibility
Turtle Friendly Lighting in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, AL
We live and work on one of the most important sea turtle nesting beaches in the country. Protecting the loggerheads and Kemp's ridleys that share our coast is not just the right thing to do. It is part of who we are.
Why This Matters to Us
We Are Stewards of This Coast
Jason and the Gulf Shores Electrical team grew up fishing these waters, walking these beaches, and watching these turtles make their way to the Gulf. This coast is not just where we work. It is home.
Every year, loggerhead and Kemp's ridley sea turtles return to the same Baldwin County beaches where they were born to lay their eggs. The biggest threat they face is not the ocean. It is the light from our homes, condos, and businesses pulling their hatchlings in the wrong direction.
We install turtle safe lighting because we believe that protecting wildlife and building beautiful homes are not opposites. We can do both. And on this coast, we have a responsibility to try.
By the Numbers
47 miles
of Alabama Gulf Coast monitored daily during nesting season
May to Oct
nesting and hatching season in Baldwin County
Federally Protected
all nesting species under the Endangered Species Act
The Three Rules
What Makes Lighting Turtle Friendly
Every fixture we install meets all three principles required by Baldwin County ordinance and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Keep It Low
Mount fixtures low to the ground. Use lower wattage and lumens. Wall mounts must be no higher than 8 feet from the floor and are not recommended above the first habitable floor.
Keep It Shielded
Shield light sources so they are not visible from the beach. Fixtures must direct light downward and away from the shoreline. Additional shielding may be required if visible from the beach.
Keep It Long
Use long wavelength amber light at 560nm or longer. Amber LED reduces the blue and green light that disorients nesting sea turtles and hatchlings. Also protects the endangered beach mouse.
Where It Applies
Residential and Commercial Properties
Turtle friendly lighting requirements apply to any property where exterior lights are visible from the beach or within the designated ordinance zone. This includes both new construction and existing properties.
Support the Mission
Two Organizations Protecting Our Turtles
We encourage every homeowner, business, and visitor on the Gulf Coast to support these two local organizations doing the real work of protecting Alabama's sea turtles.
Share the Beach
Alabama Coastal Foundation
Alabama's official sea turtle conservation program. Volunteers patrol all 47 miles of Alabama's Gulf Coast daily from May through October to locate, mark, and protect nests. Adopt a nest, volunteer, or donate directly.
Share the Beach has monitored Alabama's nesting beaches since 2005 and works directly with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect every nest on the Alabama coast.
Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center
Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park
Rescues and rehabilitates injured sea turtles found along the Gulf Coast, including turtles that have been hooked, struck by boats, or cold stunned. Your donation funds direct medical care and release back into the Gulf.
The C.A.R.E. Center has rehabilitated and released hundreds of sea turtles. Their annual CARE on the Coast fundraiser has raised over $100,000 for sea turtle rescue.
Certified Fixtures
We Source From The Mathes Group
Gulf Shores Electrical partners with The Mathes Group, Alabama's leading supplier of certified turtle friendly fixtures. We have access to their full catalog of approved ceiling mounted and wall mounted certified fixtures so you get the right product for every application.