NAGS HEAD, NC — As the sun shined down on Jennette's Pier on Friday, countless people made their way up the structure or out onto the oceanfront. The pier has gone through some major changes that can't be seen during the day, but are impossible to miss at night.
“What wildlife friendly lighting is, it's not bright white or soft white lighting. It's lighting that has a color temperature that is Amber, so it almost has sort of an orange glow to it," said Mike Remige, director of Jennette's Pier.
For years the North Carolina Aquariums Division has wanted to make changes to be more mindful of wildlife. That's now the reality at Jennette's Pier, with 200 shielded amber lights up and down the structure.
There are countless types of wildlife in the Outer Banks, but sea turtles are the main focus of this change. In a normal summer, the area sees around 30 nests with at least 80 eggs in each.
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“Most of our turtles here are loggerhead sea turtles, they nest at night, and they have the hatchlings emerge at night," said Tony Parisi, president of the Network for Endangered Sea Turtles.
The Network for Endangered Sea Turtles has hundreds of volunteers that help monitor each nest location. Crews ride up and down from the Virginia state line to south Nags Head in search of potential nests during the mid-May to August season.
Parisis said holes are a challenge but one of the biggest obstacles for mother’s to lay eggs and hatchlings to make it to the water is artificial white lights.
“When the hatchlings come out, they're attracted to the brightest area, which is the ocean. If there are bright lights in houses or other facilities or parking lots behind the dune, they see that instead of heading to the ocean, they head the wrong way and that's not good," said Parisi.
Watch: Kemp’s ridley sea turtles "dance" as they nest at Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Though changing light coloring may seem like just a small step, it can have a lasting and major impact on the wildlife and sea turtle population for years to come.
"Let's face it, right, the Outer Banks are built up. They're developed, and that's not going to change. And that's the basis of our economy, and we love it. That's why we're here to welcome visitors to the Outer Banks to this beautiful place. But, if we can lessen the impact on the animals that have been here for millennia, for, you know, millions of years before us, then that's all the better," said Remige.
"That's a great thing that they've done. Certainly, it's going to have an impact on any sea turtles. I know the wildlife in that area, to the extent that that can be done in other places that are close to the beach, that would be helpful," said Parisi.
The project was paid for and made possible by the North Carolina Aquarium Society.
