Featured Image Credit: Johnny Gaskell
By Sarah Sharkey
Marine biologist Johnny Gaskell shot some amazing video footage of a young green sea turtle eating a jellyfish on the Great Barrier Reef. While most sea turtles are considered to be omnivores, the green sea turtle is largely known as a herbivore.
This turtle though looks like it is between 2 and 5 years old, and is considered a juvenile. As juveniles, green sea turtles are known to be more omnivorous than their adulthood diets. The most surprising thing about this feeding is that the turtle is going for the tentacle, not the body, of the jellyfish.
As we all know, jellyfish tentacles can cause a serious sting for humans. This is due to the harpoon-like nematocysts that are triggered into the skin on contact. The nematocysts inject venom into the victim’s cells.
Human skin is much more sensitive than turtles’. Turtles are reptiles, and their scales provide the necessary protection when eating a jellyfish. The turtle’s only sensitive spot is its eyes, but the easier solution is to just close your eyes while munching away.
It might seem that the tentacles could do some damage to the turtle while inside it’s body, but the turtles seem to have no problems ingesting and digesting this nematocyst covered tentacles. This amazingly strong stomach helps turtles to live long and healthy lives.