What Do Sea Turtles Eat?

All sea turtles share some similarities in diet, although some portions of the diet vary by the type of turtle.

Most sea turtles will consume fish that are sized according to their abilities, though surprisingly fish may not be the preferred food for a particular turtle.

Geographic Location

Sea turtles in different geographic locations will have different diets.

Turtles that live further out to sea for the entire lives may eat different foods than turtles that live near the shore or rocky areas where coral and crustaceans are plentiful.

Turtles that live closer to shore can be quite interesting as the adults have been known to eat all kinds of shore life, including birds.

Whatever lives nearby and comes onto the shore can be fair game for these turtles, so that can include squirrels, mice, rats and other small mammals.

Hatchling Sea Turtles

Hatchling sea turtles typically feed on what is nearby them.

Some sea turtle females nest up high on beaches, where there is vegetation, so these turtles are more likely to feed on some plant matter and even insects or very small mammals.

Other females nest right in the sandy area of the beach where the tide crosses at some points, and those hatchlings will probably eat some seaweed, tiny crabs, and other beach meat.

Sea turtles that hatch in or right at the edge of the water may go out to sea more quickly and consume tiny fish and other plant and animal matter.

Adult Sea Turtles

Adult sea turtles vary more.

Some species eat a semi-plant based diet of seaweed, algae and other sea grasses.

Many subspecies have a strong preference for a carnivorous diet but they tend to go for crabs, shrimp, mollusks, and snails.

These turtles need strong beaks to crack the shells of their prey.

Jellyfish is a favorite for many sea turtles and can be eaten easily by turtles with sharp beaks and softer ones.

Other foods that are very common for sea turtles include fish, sponges, fish eggs, and much more.

Fun Fact: Sea turtles love jelly fish;

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