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🚢 Why Cruise Passengers Are Asked to Turn Off Lights and Close Curtains in Certain Waters — The Alarming Truth Behind the Quiet Request
When you’re on a cruise, the last thing you expect is to be asked to dim the lights and close the curtains at night. Yet, in certain regions, cruise passengers are politely instructed to do just that — a quiet but serious request that comes with an alarming reason.
The answer is far more serious — and vital — than it first appears.
🌍 It’s All About Where You Are: Eco-Sensitive Waters
Cruise lines implement these requests when sailing through environmentally sensitive areas, particularly in regions where wildlife can be negatively impacted by artificial light.
This practice is especially common in areas like:
- The Caribbean
- The Galápagos Islands
- Parts of the South Pacific
- Coastal Florida and the Southeastern U.S.
The biggest reason? Sea turtles.
🐢 Sea Turtles Are Confused by Light — And It’s Deadly
Sea turtle hatchlings rely on the natural light of the moon and stars reflecting off the ocean to guide them safely from their nests on the beach to the water.
But artificial lights — from beachfront resorts, streetlights, and yes, cruise ships — disorient the hatchlings, leading them away from the ocean and toward danger.
This confusion can cause them to:
- Wander inland toward roads or predators
- Become dehydrated or die from exhaustion
- Be crushed or accidentally stepped on
Even adult female turtles can be deterred from nesting if the shoreline is too brightly lit.
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