A group that dances on Saturday nights at a Jupiter beach is changing its activities for the balance of sea turtle nesting season, but a marine life nonprofit still fears the weekly party will disrupt an endangered species’ birth cycle.
In a message posted to Facebook, Happy Beach Dancing organizer Foreli Blinstrub said the group will eliminate all lighting for its dances at Jupiter Beach Access 55, just south of Carlin Park, and end at dusk until the season ends on Oct. 31.
According to the group’s Facebook page, Happy Beach Dancing meets at 6 p.m. on Saturdays for freestyle dancing on the beach.
It recently met with Jupiter police, town officials and environmentalists to hear their concerns. In a statement released on the town’s Facebook page, Jupiter officials said Happy Beach Dancing’s decision was “a positive step and represents further community compromise on this issue.”
Beach dances pose risk to sea turtle nesting, Loggerhead says
However, the Loggerhead Marine Center, which monitors about 8.5 miles of beach near Juno Beach and Jupiter, said it still is worried about the how the gatherings will affect the sea turtle nests.
“We want to clarify that Loggerhead Marinelife Center does not support, authorize, or endorse this activity. While we do not have permitting authority, our mission is to advocate for the protection and long-term survival of sea turtles and their nesting habitats,” it said in a statement.
In its statement, Loggerhead said Jupiter’s beaches include some of the highest densities of endangered sea turtle nests in the Western Hemisphere, with its team members monitoring about 20,000 nests annually.
Sea turtles rely on moonlight and starlight to navigate beaches. Disorientation from artificial lighting causes thousands of hatchling deaths each year in Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
“Given the sensitivity of this habitat, organized nighttime gatherings during nesting season can pose risks to protected wildlife,” Loggerhead officials said.
“Artificial lighting can deter nesting females and disorient hatchlings away from the ocean. Amplified music and ground vibrations may interfere with critical nesting and emergence behaviors. Large crowds and associated debris can obstruct nesting activity and introduce potentially lethal marine litter into a globally important sea turtle habitat.”
Some Jupiter residents have complained about beach dances
Residents also raised concerns about the issue during a recent Town Council meeting, saying the dance group has largely ignored suggestions to use other locations, such as Carlin Park just to the north.
“I have nothing against dancing. However, not on a beach and not turtle nesting season,” one resident said.
Happy Beach Dancing previously announced that it would reduce lighting by 70 percent while continuing nighttime dance events, but made further changes amid criticism from residents and environmental groups.
In a statement posted to her Facebook page, Blinstrub wrote that the dance group would be mindful of marked nesting areas, and use extra care when selecting a gathering space.
“Our goal remains the same as it has always been: to be responsible stewards of both this beautiful coastline and the community that has grown around it,” said Blinstrub, whose Facebook page describes her as the deejay of the dance party.
Attempts to reach Blinstrub for further comment were unsuccessful.
Julius Whigham II covers northern Palm Beach County and public safety for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Saturday beach dances in Jupiter spark concerns over sea turtle nests
Reporting by Julius Whigham II, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Julius Whigham II, Palm Beach Post | USA TODAY Network
