Turtle-Friendly Lighting

At Insight Lighting, we are proud to offer amber, Turtle-Friendly lighting options designed specifically for applications in coastal and ecologically sensitive areas.

We understand the critical importance of protecting sea turtles, particularly nesting females and vulnerable hatchlings, near waterways and beaches. By selecting our amber Turtle-Friendly options, your projects achieve stunning, effective illumination while demonstrating a genuine commitment to environmental stewardship.

Our amber option addresses the critical factor and provides light sources that emit only long wavelengths (560 nanometers or greater). These amber wavelengths are significantly less disruptive to sea turtles, preventing the disorientation caused by shorter blue and green light.

Our fixtures are engineered with features—including integrated louvers, directional mounts, and available shielding accessories—that provide the capability to comply with the principles and guidelines established by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) and detailed in their Technical Report on Turtle-Friendly Lighting.

Understanding Turtle-Friendly Lighting

Principle	Description	Why It Matters
Keep it Long (Wavelength)	Use light sources that produce only long wavelengths of light (560 nanometers or greater), which appear amber, orange, or red.	Sea turtles are less sensitive to true amber or red LEDs, as they do not produce the disruptive short, blue, and green wavelengths found in typical white light.
Keep it Shielded	Use fully shielded and downward-directed fixtures with opaque materials so the light source is not directly visible from the beach or water.	This directs light where it is needed for human safety (the ground) and prevents light trespass toward the ocean or sky, which can disorient turtles.
Keep it Low	Mount fixtures as low to the ground as possible and utilize the lowest necessary wattage or lumen output.	Minimizing the height and intensity of the light source reduces the overall visual impact on the coastal environment.