How Do Sea Turtles Drink Water?

Sea turtles can drink seawater. Their bodies have ways to handle the salt that comes with it. They also obtain water from food. Salt glands near the eyes help concentrate and excrete excess salt. Florida Museum: saltwater regulation

How do scientists know they drink?

A study of newly hatched loggerheads measured changes in body mass and blood chemistry. Hatchlings regained water after drinking seawater, even without feeding during the study period. Loggerhead drinking study, 1986

Researchers studying leatherback hatchlings also found that they could gain mass by drinking seawater and regulate salt and water during their first days of life. The study examined that early life stage; it was not a measurement of how much every adult turtle drinks each day. Reina, Jones and Spotila, 2002

Where does the extra salt go?

Salt glands release concentrated fluid near the eyes. That is why a turtle out of the water can appear to be crying. The glands are living tissues involved in salt balance, rather than a sieve that simply catches grains of salt. NOAA's explanation

The balance includes both water gained and water lost. Producing a salty secretion uses water too. A successful marine adaptation lets the animal maintain its internal balance despite living in salty surroundings.

Water and breathing are different questions

Swallowing water does not provide the oxygen a turtle needs to breathe. Sea turtles use lungs and must reach the surface for air. Learn the distinction in can sea turtles breathe underwater?.

Try explaining it: Use these three words in a short explanation of a turtle's water balance: seawater, salt gland, secretion. Then compare the foods of several species in our diet guide.