Watch As A Kindhearted Man Rescues Marine Turtle From The Agony Of Having Too Many Barnacles On Its Shell

Heroic Sri Lankan man tries to help three sea turtles get rid of a load that could endanger their lives in an unplanned gesture of generosity.

Paul

• Published in Animal Stories
• December 14, 2021

Chika Boy, a kindhearted and animal-loving man, is always ready to provide a helping hand to those in need. In this case, the barnacles on the turtle's skin are removed.

Barnacles are crustaceans that are commonly found on rock or ship surfaces, but they can also be found attached to other organisms. Barnacles aren't harmful to turtles by themselves, but when the number of barnacles on a turtle's shell is excessive, it can lead to serious difficulties for the marine creature.

Swimming difficulties, illnesses, and even bad eyesight can be caused by these crustaceans that are so sticky. Having too many barnacles on a turtle's body can make it difficult for it to swim and move, Chika boy who is a wildlife enthusiast explains.

As the weight of the turtle's shell increases, it will become more difficult for the turtle to look for food. Because of this, if the barnacles are attached near the turtle's eyes or close to its mouth, the turtle will be unable to feed effectively.

Fortunately, Chika Boy had come up with an easy solution to help the sea turtle get rid of those unwanted visitors. Many barnacles had found their way onto this sea turtle's shell.

A specific gadget was used by this kind man to get rid of all the unwanted guests.

Barnacle infested Turtle

Among the oldest creatures on the planet, the sea turtle is one of them. To dive to tremendous depths and travel for long distances, they have a hydrodynamic design, enormous size, and powerful front flippers.

Front flippers are long, slender, and winglike, whereas the hind flippers are smaller. When resting or sleeping, sea turtles are able to stay below for long periods of time, but they usually surface several times an hour to take a breath.

The carapace, or top shell, of most sea turtles is made up of many bones that are coated in horny scales, called scutes.

Barnacles

A close relative of crabs and shrimp, Barnacles are small, sticky crustaceans. Grayish-white in appearance, they prefer hard surfaces like rocks, boat hulls, or pilings to raise their young and survive.

Barnacles are particularly vulnerable to extreme cold or dryness. Filtration is the primary mode of nutrition for adult barnacles.

In the water, they eat plankton and other trash. The legs of barnacles are used to suck up food from the ocean floor.

It's because of this that they're able to survive in marine and flowing waters. Barnacle larvae attach themselves to hard surfaces as they grow.

Free at last

In order for it to cling onto any hard surface, they release an adhesive material. Once a barnacle attaches itself to a hard surface, it will never move again.

Barnacles are attracted to moving surfaces because they require constant flow of water to survive. That's why barnacles attach themselves to a turtle's hard shell if it gets too close to the barnacles.

Take a look at Chika Boy's great act below

Chika Boy filmed the whole process of getting rid of the barnacles and then he posted it on his YouTube channel. He then left the turtle to swim away with its clean shell.

Most barnacles are harmless to turtles. A barnacle infestation on the turtle's shell is not a good sign. Barnacles on a turtle's shell indicate poor health.

A healthy turtle can reduce the number of barnacles attached to it but the abundance of barnacles on a turtle's shell can be fatal. Barnacles will have the most detrimental effect on the shell if they are drilled into the carapace of the shell.

This has the potential to produce a severe infection and is potentially dangerous to the turtle.

Paul