SAINT SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. () — The recently-opened Buc-ee’s on I-95 attracts big crowds throughout the day and night, but conservationists believe the lights at that interstate exit are causing problems for baby sea turtles finding the ocean as far as 15 miles away.

Under normal conditions, the night sky, reflected off the water, would guide newly hatched sea turtles out to the ocean safely.

This summer, those loggerheads are dealing with a distraction from the brighter and taller lights, according to Catherine Ridley, vice president of education and communication with 100 Miles. Ridley is also the coordinator for the St. Simons Sea Turtle Project.

“We’re talking about a threatened species here, so this is a concern for us,” Ridley said. “The high mass lighting overrides their natural cues and that becomes the brightest part of the horizon… They’re going the wrong way into the dunes away from the ocean where they’re gobbled up by predators or they use all their energy and just don’t survive.”

This “misorientation” has already happened five to seven times on Little St. Simons Island this hatching season, according to Ridley.

A spokesperson with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) told News 3 that conventional, 50-foot lights have been installed at this exit. These lights are in line with trees and shouldn’t produce as much of a glow.

According to GDOT, Glynn County is responsible for controlling the power to these lights. When News 3 reached out to Assistant County Manager Danny Smith to ask about powering off the taller lights, Smith replied, “I was unaware of that and will need to check.”

Smith did state that the county supports conservationists in making sure that turtles make their way to the ocean safely. He said the county also supports GDOT in making sure roadways are well-lit at night.

A spokesperson with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GDNR) told News 3 the department has made their concerns clear. Ridley said conservationists have been fighting lighting concerns for years.

“Certainly on islands like Saint Simons or Tybee, where we have beachside homes and rentals and hotels, those are concerns as well. It doesn’t mean that it’s not a fixable problem, though,” Ridley said. “It’s really not rocket science. Where we are today, we have a great understanding of sea turtle natural history, their behavior, and what impacts them, Lighting technology has evolved to a point that it’s not as if we have to choose between economic development or human safety and the protection of our wildlife.”

Ridley and her colleagues don’t blame the popular travel station for the lights. According to GDOT, the high mass lights have been in place for years but were turned off.

“We’re not attributing these lights to Buc-ee’s. Certainly, we do take Buc-ee’s at their word. They want to be a good neighbor. We’d love for them to urge Glynn County and GDOT to work with a lot of urgency to find a solution,” Ridley said.

Some of those solutions could be installing shields over the lights or lowering the wattage. Another solution would be turning to red lights, which are disruptive to turtles.

did reach out to Buc-ee’s for comment, but did not hear back.