BRUNSWICK, Ga. — A new Buc-ee’s in Brunswick is drawing big crowds — and big lights. However, while the interstate illumination is helping drivers see more clearly, experts say it’s creating serious problems for wildlife, including baby sea turtles that are over 12 miles away.
Baby sea turtles depend on the natural glow of moonlight to find their way from the beach to the ocean. But that path is now being disrupted on Little St. Simons Island.
“The hatchlings are being impacted directly by these really tall, bright lights,” said Scott Coleman, ecological manager of Little St. Simons Island.
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New, high-powered lighting near Exit 42 off I-95 is drawing the hatchlings in the wrong direction — away from the water and toward the inland lights.
“As of last weekend, we had about 64 hatchlings that had gone in the wrong direction from different nests,” Coleman said.
The glow is coming from high-mast fixtures illuminating the newly built Buc-ee’s interchange. While the lights are meant to increase visibility for drivers, Coleman said their reach is far more extensive—affecting even the undeveloped, dark beaches of Little St. Simons and Sapelo islands.
“Maybe they could use some sort of different lighting,” suggested local resident Amber Goff.
“It’s really cruel that they cannot find their way back,” added Mary Akers, another local resident.
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According to Brittany Dozier, communications director for Glynn County, the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is responsible for operating the high-mast lights.
Glynn County ensures they are functional, but the lights were installed before Buc-ee’s was ever proposed—and they are not related to the newly constructed roundabouts nearby.
Dozier also confirmed the lights do not violate any local ordinances.
However, GDOT is now evaluating the possibility of installing an alternative lighting system for the interchange in response to the concerns.
As turtle nesting season continues through October, experts and residents alike are hoping for swift changes—before more hatchlings lose their way.
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