Folly Beach approves new beachfront lighting rules to protect sea turtles

FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCBD) — New beachfront lighting rules intended to help better protect sea turtle hatchlings are set to go into effect on Folly Beach next spring.

City council members unanimously approved the second reading of an ordinance on Dec. 10 that amends the rules for artificial lighting on oceanfront property during turtle nesting season.

The new regulations prohibit any lighting that illuminates the beach during nighttime hours from May 1 to October 31. Nighttime hours are defined as the period between sunrise and sunset as determined by the National Weather Service.

Officials told News 2 that changing the lights-out period — dusk to dawn previously — will account for varying hours of darkness as the seasons change.

It marks a notable change as house lighting requirements had not been updated in several decades despite changes to landscape and beach walkover lighting requirements over the years.

Motion-detection security and safety lighting will permitted during the restricted time but “low-profile luminaries” must be used and shielded so that the light does not illuminate the beach, per the ordinance.

Hatchlings instinctually rely on moonlight to find their way to sea and artificial lighting can cause them to become disoriented and wander inland. It can also deter females from coming onshore to nest.

Sea turtles already face daunting survival odds, with an estimated one in 1,000 — or as few as one in 10,000 — making it to adulthood, according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Association. Coupled with natural predatory threats, disorientation can push those odds even lower.

“Folly Beach Turtle Watch (FBTW) is very appreciative of our turtle-friendly city council,” said program coordinator Dave Miller, who initially requested the law be modified.

“This season, they approved money to have our streetlights converted to turtle-friendly lights, and they proactively modified the ordinance so it will be in effect for the 2025 season,” he continued. “Both of these actions unquestionably will save the lives of a lot of hatchlings.”

There are seven species of sea turtles — all of which are considered endangered — but only loggerheads, Kemp’s ridleys, greens, and leatherbacks are found on South Carolina beaches.

FBTW recorded 44 nests on Folly Beach during the 2024 nesting season with an average emergence success rate of 72.7%.