JUPITER, Fla. — The organizer of a weekly beach dance group in Jupiter said Wednesday her organization is pausing activities until further notice amid pushback from sea turtle conservationists during peak nesting season.
Foreli Blinstrub, the founder of the dance gathering, confirmed those details with WPTV reporter Samantha Gutierrez.
This is a story we have been closely following the past few weeks amid concerns that the Happy Beach Dancing group's gatherings were putting sea turtles at risk.
Happy Beach Dancing holds weekly gatherings at Beach Access 55 in Jupiter, where members come together to dance and decompress. The group has faced criticism from the Loggerhead Marine Life Center, which says the area is one of the densest nesting sites for sea turtles in the entire world
The group announced last month it would no longer bring lights to Beach Access 55 and will wrap up activities by 8:45 p.m. during sea turtle nesting season.
There had been calls to move the dance parties away from the area entirely during nesting season.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife website, disorientation from artificial lighting causes thousands of hatchling deaths each year in Florida and is a significant marine turtle conservation problem.
Stay with WPTV.com and WPTV News for updates.
