What Are Sea Turtle Barnacles and Do They Hurt the Turtle?

Sea turtles often carry barnacles on their shells, but are these clingy crustaceans harmful? In this post, we dive into why barnacles attach to turtles, when they become a problem, and why it’s important not to remove them. Plus, we answer questions about touching barnacles and how whales handle their own barnacle troubles.

Barnacles might look harmless, but these tiny crustaceans can cause big problems for sea turtles. Found clinging to their shells, barnacles ride along through ocean currents and feed on plankton. But what happens when there are too many? Should you remove them? This post explores the facts about barnacle buildup, removal risks, and why even touching them can be harmful.

Let Nature Do the Cleaning: Why Barnacles Belong to the Ocean, Not Your Hands
If you’ve ever seen a sea turtle up close, you might have noticed small, rough bumps attached to its shell. These are barnacles, and they’ve made sea turtles their mobile homes. Barnacles latch onto turtle shells without harming the turtle at first. They don’t feed on the turtle directly, but over time, a heavy load of barnacles can make swimming harder and even cause skin irritation or shell damage.

You might wonder if it’s safe or helpful to remove barnacles from a turtle. The truth is, you should never try. Ripping them off can tear the turtle’s skin or shell layer, leading to infections. Wildlife professionals use special tools and care when removal is truly needed. It’s also illegal to touch or handle wild sea turtles in many places.

Touching barnacles may expose your skin to sharp edges and bacteria. In rare cases, people can get minor infections or rashes from barnacle contact. There’s no such thing as “barnacle poisoning” from touching, but open wounds or allergies can lead to discomfort. As a comparison, gray whales have been seen scraping barnacles off by rubbing on the ocean floor which is an example of how even giants of the sea deal with these sticky guests naturally.

Key Points:

• Why Barnacles Stick to Turtles: They cling for a free ride and easy access to food in moving waters.
• Do Barnacles Hurt Turtles?: Not always, but large amounts can slow them down and irritate the skin.
• Should You Remove Them?: No. Only trained experts should do this to avoid harming the turtle.
• Is It Safe to Touch Barnacles?: Avoid it. Their sharp edges can cut and cause irritation.
• Do Whales Remove Barnacles?: Yes, whales sometimes use the seafloor to scrape them off naturally.