Do Sea Turtles Drink Water From the Ocean? ( Salty Sippers)

Sea turtles are amazing creatures that have adapted to live in the water. They spent almost all of their lives in the ocean. Since they are aquatic reptiles, a lot of questions regarding their lives are hovering around.

Like, do sea turtles drink water? Yes, marine turtles do hydrate themselves by drinking sea/ocean water. However, they have special glands (“salt glands”) behind their eyes that filter the salt and excrete it through their tears. They also get some hydration from the food they eat. [source]

But sea turtles still may drink fresh or brackish water occasionally to stay healthy. So sea turtles have special glands to discharge salt, but do you know how it works? Let’s figure that out and many more interesting things through this article.

Looking for more information about turtles:

Do Turtles Eat Other Turtles?
Do Sea Turtles Have Tails?

How Does a Sea Turtle Drink Water in the Ocean?

Sea turtles drink water by sucking it up through their mouths and into their throats. To be more specific, sea turtles swiftly open its mouth and close their jaws, creating a vacuum that sucks water into the mouth.

Sea Turtles Drink Ocean Water to Saty Hydrated

They can also absorb water through their nose or cloaca (couldn’t verify this info from authentic sources). And they expel the excess water and salt through their noses or eyes.

Consequently, sea turtles can drink salt water while swimming in the ocean without becoming too dehydrated or salty.

How Do Sea Turtles Filter Salt from Seawater?

Sea turtles may remove extra salt from the water using a special organ called salt glands, as mentioned. When sea turtles drink salt water, the salt is absorbed into their bloodstream. The blood then carries the salt to the salt glands, located behind each eye (some claims glands can be near the eyes, nose, or mouth).

Sea Turtles Excrete the Salt Content From Body through Tears

If we look at it in more detail, in marine turtles, the salt glands are located in the lachrymal glands, which are glands associated with tear production, usually located in or on the skull, in or around the eyes, nose, or mouth. The salt glands in marine turtles are roughly similar to those in other birds and reptiles.

These salt glands function in a very specific manner. They produce a concentrated solution containing about twice the salt concentration as the seawater they initially drank.

And this concentrated solution is excreted from the corner of the eye in the form of salty tears, which are constantly secreted in the process.

This adaptation helps them to survive in oceans and seas around the world, including warm tropical reef systems where they prefer to reside.

Therefore, sea turtles drink seawater and use their salt glands to cope with the high salt content of the water they consume, similar to other marine animals like sharks, rays, skates, and sea birds.

Do Sea Turtles Drink Fresh Water?

Sea turtles do not typically drink fresh water like terrestrial animals do. They obtain their water requirements from the food they consume, such as algae and marine plants, which naturally contain water.

Marine Turtles Usually Don't Require to Drink from Fresh Water Sources

And as covered, they drink saltwater and filter the salt through specialized glands behind their eyes.

Now you might be wondering, are sea turtles drink fresh water at all? If so, how do sea turtles get fresh water to drink?

Well, marine turtles can drink fresh water when they have access to it, like- when they are crossing the brackish water (these are transitional areas between fresh and marine waters) or visiting the river areas.

But do sea turtles need to drink fresh water for survival? Different sources claim different answers. One group says sea turtles need to drink fresh water occasionally, as seawater alone is insufficient to keep them hydrated and healthy.

Sea Turtles Are Well-Adpated to Survive Wihtin Marine Environment

And the other group, which sources are comparatively reliable, says that sea turtles do not need to drink freshwater, as they can get enough water from their food and excrete the excess salt through their glands.

Also, it may depend on the species, habitat, and diet of the sea turtles, as well as the availability of freshwater sources.

FYI, sea turtles can stay hydrated without drinking water for a considerable amount of time because they have developed the ability to retain water and get it from their diet and salt glands.

How Do Sea Turtles Maintain Water Balance?

Now, how do sea turtles maintain hydration? They have a unique system for maintaining the proper quantity of water in their bodies since they spend most of their life in saltwater environments. As we previously discussed, their salt glands help their bodies get rid of surplus salt.

How Do Sea Turtles Stay Hydrated in the Water

Sea turtles also can get some water through foods like jellyfish and seaweed, which are mostly made of water. Additionally, sea turtles also have adaptations that help them conserve water, such as thick skin and a low metabolic rate.

Through these, they can balance their water requirement and eat or drink more if necessary.

So, in general, sea turtles have evolved to be quite good at controlling the water balance in their bodies, allowing them to survive and thrive in their aquatic environments.

Do Sea Turtles Get Water From Their Food?

As we mentioned before, sea turtles get water from their food besides drinking the ocean water. Their food contains water that helps them stay hydrated and replenish their body fluids.

For example, their most common diet jellyfish are about 95% water, seaweed is about 80-90% water, and crustaceans are about 50-70% water.

How Much Water Do Sea Turtles Drink in a Day?

The water requirements of sea turtles can vary depending on factors such as their species, size, and the environmental conditions they are exposed to.

Since they obtain water from their diet and conserve it effectively, there is no fixed amount of water that sea turtles are known to drink on a daily basis.

Factors That Influence the Drinking Behavior of Sea Turtles

To give you a better idea of the previous question, we amassed some factors that can impact the water intake of sea turtles. Multiple actors can influence sea turtles’ drinking behavior. And those are:

Sea Turtles' Drinking Habit Can Be Affected by Several Factors

Body salt levels: To survive, their bodies must have a healthy salt and water balance. They will consume water according to their needs so the body won’t get high salt levels or face dehydration.

Food accessibility or Diet: Because sea turtles get a portion of their water from the food they consume, their drinking habits might be influenced by the availability of food. Also, different kinds of food contain different levels of water, which may affect how much water the turtles need to drink.

Age and species: The water needs, and drinking habits of sea turtles might vary depending on their species and age groups.

Their environment: Sea turtles live in different habitats, such as coral reefs, seagrass beds, open oceans, and coastal areas.

These habitats may have different salinity levels, temperatures, and availability of fresh or brackish water sources, which may affect how much water the turtles drink and how they excrete salt.

Sea Turtles’ Behavior: Sea turtles have different patterns of activity, such as feeding, resting, migrating, and nesting. These patterns may affect how much water the turtles drink and when they drink it.

These are the common factors that can affect the drinking habits and behavior of sea turtles.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do Sea Turtles Drink Water Through Their Nose?

They do not consume liquid through their nostrils; nonetheless, occasionally, they may experience water ingress in their nasal passages during the act of drinking. However, some sources claim sea turtles can drink through their nose, mouth, and cloaca. But we couldn’t verify this information.

2. Do Sea Turtles Drink Water While They Are Swimming?

Yes, Marine turtles may drink water while in motion. They also use buccal oscillations to move water in and out of their nostrils while swimming. However, some experts say sea turtles do not drink when swimming in the ocean. Rather, they do this during their feeding time.

3. Do Sea Turtles Need to Drink Water to Survive?

Although sea turtles can endure a long period without drinking, they do need to drink water for their survival. And as we covered, they get most of their water requirement from the foods they eat and occasional drinks from ocean water.

Concluding Remarks

So, we can conclude that sea turtles drink water (more precisely, ocean water). However, they possess a unique adaptation that facilitates them to eliminate surplus sodium from their physiologies.

In order to accomplish this task, salt glands help them to excrete the salt from their body to keep the balance.

And sea turtles primarily obtain their hydration from the food they consume. Notwithstanding, they may drink water from freshwater sources. But this is not their usual drinking habit.

References:

Oliver Ridley Project. (n.d.). Why Do Sea Turtles Cry? Retrieved from https://oliveridleyproject.org/ufaqs/why-do-sea-turtles-cry

Sea Turtle Organization. (n.d.). Sea Turtles FAQ. Retrieved from http://www.seaturtle.org/faq/answers/55.shtml

SeaWorld. (n.d.). Sea Turtle Adaptations. Retrieved from https://seaworld.org/animals/all-about/sea-turtles/adaptations/

Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia. (n.d.). Food and Water for Turtles. Retrieved from https://www.turtleconservationsociety.org.my/food-and-water/