Guests at JOE’s coastal developments share the beach with many species of plant and wildlife, among them, the Loggerhead Sea Turtle.  During the late spring, female sea turtles make their annual pilgrimage to the beach to dig a nest and lay their eggs.  Two months later, the sea turtle hatchlings emerge from their nest to make their mad dash to the sea. The baby sea turtles find their way in the dark, guided by starlight and moonlight.  If there is artificial light shining from the shore, the hatchlings will become confused, crawl inland and die.
 
In order to ensure safe passage for the baby sea turtles, there are no artificial lights on the beaches at the WaterColor Inn.  In addition, all of the outdoor lighting fixtures have shields to direct light down instead of out toward the beach, and the windows are coated with protective film to reduce the amount of inside light from reflecting out to the shore. 
 
JOE’s recreation staff manages the beach to keep it safe for sea turtles, including removal of beach chairs and equipment nightly.  JOE's wildlife biologists work closely with local sea turtle volunteer groups to assure successful sea turtle nesting events on JOE's beaches.