On vacation

When planning a vacation, use recognized recreational businesses: Blue Star diving and fishing operators in the Florida Keys; Dolphin SMART in Alabama, Florida, and Hawaii; and Whale SENSE in Alaska, Maine, Massachusetts, Delaware, New York, New Jersey, and Virginia.

Encountering wildlife can be a once-in-a lifetime opportunity. For their safety as well as yours, please give wildlife plenty of space, be aware of local regulations, and use your zoom lens or binoculars if you want that close-up view.

During nesting season, keep your outdoor lights off, as the hatchlings use the light of the moon to guide them back to the ocean. Artificial light can confuse them and send them in the wrong direction.

They’re important shelters for sea life, and provide material for bird nests, places for seagrass and invertebrates to attach, and protection for our shorelines against shore erosion.