Fireworks Can Leave Sea Isle Terrapins ‘Shell-Shocked’; PETA Urges Switch to Drone Show for July Fourth

For Immediate Release:
May 27, 2026

Contact:
Hannah Nelson 202-483-7382

As diamondback terrapin nesting season (late-May through mid-July) gets underway, PETA today sent a letter to Sea Isle City Mayor Leonard Desiderio urging him to nix loud, dangerous fireworks and embrace dazzling drones and electrifying lasers for this year’s Independence Day celebration.

PETA points out that the booms and blasts of fireworks can disorient terrapin hatchlings, preventing them from navigating to water, and can scare adults away from nests. Also, during fireworks displays, panicked cats and dogs flee their homes, songbirds collide with buildings, and terrified wild animals run into roadways. Fireworks debris can harm and even kill seabirds and marine mammals who mistake it for food and pollutes the environment with toxic chemicals and heavy metals. Fireworks shows can also retraumatize veterans, survivors of mass shootings, and other people suffering from PTSD.

“Sea Isle City already works hard to protect its native diamondback terrapins, so it just makes sense to take the next step by ending noisy old-fashioned fireworks and switching to cutting-edge drones or lasers,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “PETA urges Sea Isle City to make this compassionate change so that nesting turtles, noise-sensitive humans, and all other animals can enjoy the Fourth in peace.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that when it comes to the ability to feel pain, hunger, and fear, a terrapin is a dog is a boy. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Desiderio follows.

May 27, 2026

The Honorable Leonard C. Desiderio

Mayor of Sea Isle City

Dear Mayor Desiderio:

I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals—PETA entities have more than 10.4 million members and supporters worldwide, including over 172,000 in New Jersey—in time for the diamondback terrapin nesting season with a request: Would you please replace fireworks with a dazzling laser light or drone show at your Fourth of July celebration? This would allow wildlife, companion animals, and people with PTSD to experience a far quieter, cleaner, and less stressful celebration. Please allow me to explain.

As you may know, the flashing lights and noise from fireworks displays cause a great deal of stress, anxiety, and fear in wild animals. It is especially important to avoid their use during the turtle nesting season, as fireworks can disorient turtle hatchlings, causing them to become dehydrated and unable to navigate to water. They can also scare adults, who have been known to abandon their nests. In addition, songbirds have been known to collide with buildings and each other, while waterfowl may panic and fly to dangerously high altitudes for long periods of time, leaving them exhausted and vulnerable.

Seabirds and marine animals can mistake fireworks debris for food, which can lead to internal injuries, intestinal blockages, starvation, and death. It can also cause animals to become entangled, hindering their ability to swim, fly, eat, or surface for air. Fireworks also produce smoke and dust laden with toxic particles that harm the respiratory systems of birds, humans, and other animals.

It’s not just wildlife who suffer during fireworks displays. July 4 and 5 are the busiest days for the intake of stray animals at shelters nationwide, as terrified dogs and cats often try to escape the chaos. Veterans, survivors of gun violence—including mass shootings—and others who have post-traumatic stress disorder are often deeply disturbed by the noise of the explosives and the smell of gunpowder.

The Sea Isle City community takes significant efforts to protect diamond terrapins already. We hope you’ll take it a step further by canceling this fireworks display and switching to cutting-edge drone or laser shows—which are quieter, produce virtually no air pollution, and are growing in popularity.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Tracy Reiman
President