Residents urge Jupiter council to tighten rules after recurring nighttime beach gatherings during turtle nesting season

Dozens of residents told the Town of Jupiter council at its July 7 meeting that recurring Saturday-night gatherings on the town’s beaches are disrupting nesting sea turtles and urged the council to adopt clearer rules and stronger enforcement.

The meeting’s public-comment period focused overwhelmingly on the gatherings at Beach Access 55. “I have a petition with over 2,591 signatures to support them moving, not to shut down,” said Stacy McDonald, a long-time resident, urging relocation of the gatherings during nesting season. Several speakers, including scientists and volunteers from the Loggerhead Marine Center, described nest counts and behavioral evidence they say shows artificial lighting, amplified music and concentrated crowds can cause female turtles to abandon nesting attempts.

Those speakers included Stacy Kerrigan, who reported local nest counts and warned of direct impacts: "Turtles are spooked by silhouettes, by sound...the female turtles will actually sometimes drop their eggs in the ocean." Linda Emerson, a coastal environmental scientist, said guided research walks are highly regulated and distinct from large public gatherings and urged the town to avoid conflating the two.

Speakers proposed concrete actions. Janine Soule asked council to direct staff to draft ordinance language prohibiting beach lighting, open flames and amplified sound on nesting beaches and to consider size limits for groups; Elena Fedo, an administrator of a large local Facebook group, suggested noise limits, signage at beach accesses and restrictions on fireworks. Other residents urged the creation of a task force or use of the Beach Committee to develop recommendations for the council.

Not all comments called for an outright ban. Laurie Bertrand said she has seen smaller gatherings and urged a fact-based approach. Momenta Herndon noted other threats—ATV use and marine-prop strikes—may present higher risks and suggested patrols and mitigation work. Abraham Karimpanal said his group had tried to stop using lights and to end activities at dusk and described feeling targeted and unsafe after complaints.

Mayor Jim Kuretsky thanked speakers and said the council would not debate the issue at that meeting, but he pledged action: “We are taking this matter very seriously as a council,” he said, and indicated staff and the police department have been working with the group and that the town will explore regulatory options and coordination with county and state partners.

What happens next: multiple speakers asked the council to direct staff to draft ordinance language or convene the Beach Committee to develop a recommendation. Councilors repeatedly said the issue is a priority and suggested that some solutions may require cooperation with Palm Beach County or state agencies. The town did not take formal action on the matter at the July 7 meeting; speakers were told their concerns would be referred to staff for investigation and follow-up.