On Manatee County's Gulf beaches, including Anna Maria Island, lighting that shines onto the beach must be shielded or turned off between sunset and sunrise from May 1 to October 31 to protect nesting sea turtles. Beach chairs, umbrellas, and cabanas must also be removed nightly during nesting season.
Manatee County is a coastal, sea-turtle-nesting county, so beachfront lighting is restricted during nesting season (May 1 to October 31). Lights illuminating buildings or associated grounds for decorative or recreational purposes must be shielded or screened so no beam of light projects directly onto the beach, or turned off between sunset and sunrise during that period. Interior lights visible from the beach must use window treatments or be turned off. Screen rooms, beach chairs, umbrellas, and cabanas must be removed nightly or stored in designated areas to prevent turtle entrapment. The Anna Maria Island cities (Anna Maria, Holmes Beach, Bradenton Beach) each adopted their own sea-turtle lighting ordinances, and county park/beach rules under Chapter 2-24 back up beach-behavior enforcement.
Beach lighting or furniture left out during nesting season is enforced under the county's beach/park rules (Chapter 2-24) and the island cities' sea-turtle ordinances, punishable by fine.
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