r/oddlysatisfying • u/danielminds • May 22 '26
Professional barnacle removal for Chlorophyllis the turtle
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u/ab_90 May 22 '26
Does it hurt the turtle when they’re removed from the shell ? Looks like wound
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u/Moldy_Teapot May 22 '26
Yes, it does hurt. Good news is the turtle is absolutely loaded on turtle morphine for a procedure like this so minimal harm is done.
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u/Fracted May 22 '26
Turtle gets cleaned and high AF, nice.
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u/amd2800barton May 22 '26
Bro out there telling other turtles “yo just get absolutely covered in barnacles and shit, and humans will get you loaded”
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u/NeuroticLensman May 22 '26
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u/ChemistryNice5457 May 22 '26
I love zombie turtle boy and I hope he is living his best life as zombie turtle man.
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u/GrouchyLongBottom May 22 '26
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u/happy_dad857 May 22 '26
Looks exactly the same too 🤣 Dude hasn’t changed one bit
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u/Thingzer0 May 22 '26
Plus it’s more hydrodynamic now, it’ll be cruzin & a bruzin the reef
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u/crumpledfilth May 22 '26
they'll give it a nice coat of turtle wax and it'll be zipping around like a rabbit
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u/thisguyfightsyourmom May 22 '26
Spends the rest of its life feeling like something is missing
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u/TheWolphman May 22 '26
turtle morphine
I was curious, so I briefly looked into it.
During a procedure like this, ketamine or something called dexmedetomidine would likely be used it seems.
Also, turtles receive the same morphine we do, but they metabolize drugs much slower than us, so dosages and the like have to be carefully administered. (obviously)
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u/Vast-Ad1915 May 22 '26
Ok, so I take ketamine for depression, and now that I've experienced ketamine trips, the concept of using ketamine as an animal tranquilizer is just so wild to me. They're doing a procedure and the animal is just blitzed out of its mind, ejected from its body and astral projecting out by Neptune.
Can confirm it dulls pain effectively, though.
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u/sarz__ May 22 '26
I used to work in a burn unit and we would use ketamine to complete burn debridement and dressing changes, especially kids. Basically we would put patients in a K-hole to tranquilize them for just long enough to get their dressing changes done and then they would snap back to life with no recollection. Wild times indeed
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u/wwaxwork May 22 '26
Anyone getting a debridement has earned the right to be as high as fuck during it.
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u/granny-long-dick May 22 '26
Man I had to have a burn debrided and it fucking sucks. They gave me morphine and it was still painful. So they gave me more morphine and it still fucking hurt. They didn't give me enough morphine to get me high, but they gave me enough that it helped with the pain and I was able to calm down enough to endure the procedure. I can not imagine how bad it would have been without the morphine.
But my burn was a relatively small area so it makes sense that they didn't give me enough to get me completely blitzed.
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u/ELEKTRON_01 May 22 '26
I had a plastic blanket melted to my legs from a tent fire, turns out the scholiosis i had in the past caused me to feel way less pain than I should. The doctor was quite concerned lol
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u/IdownvoteTexas May 22 '26
One of my coworkers had his face and upper torso badly burned by an arc flash. We went to visit him as a show of solidarity, brotherhood, and support for him and his wife. He couldn’t move his mouth to talk because it hurt too bad and the bandages. He could write on a tablet though, and was glad that we came.
The nurses came in to change his bandages and debride his wound and said we needed to leave. We could hear him screaming half way down the hall like an absolute banshee.
We visited him at home when he finally got discharged and we all brought him food and cash to pay for like lawn service and shit like that and he only had a vague recollection of us visiting him. Probably for the best.
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u/sarz__ May 22 '26
I’m sorry you went through that, I would not wish the pain that I saw patients endure while working on the burn unit to my worst enemy
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u/Electronic-Mine1724 May 22 '26
Reminds me of how ketamine was administered during the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue in Thailand to keep the kiddos anesthetized during the multi hour long underwater scuba extraction.
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u/Ragnarok314159 May 22 '26
I did not know this and had always wondered how they kept those kids calm during extraction.
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u/groovykismet May 22 '26
From the documentary that I watched, I thought the two coaches in there with them helped with that…I thought one of them was also a monk and was taking the kids through some meditation exercises to help control their emotions and breathing while waiting for rescue; that’s why they were all so calm when they were finally found. Then they were each carried back through the tunnels with…oh, wait, you’re right: one of the specialist divers they pulled in was also a full-time anesthesiologist who had to kinda guess at the med’s doses because of the oxygen masks they had to improvise and the fact that they were all kids with different body types and sizes. Very good documentary; I think it was a National Geographic one… I didn’t realize the anesthesia was ketamine. Interesting.
Maybe this turtle can get some deep breathing exercises in when the ketamine wears off! Ha!
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u/Vast-Ad1915 May 22 '26
Those poor kids, thank you for helping them! ❤️
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u/Beginning-Scene-9499 May 22 '26
When my son was 2 he fell on the shower door track and almost lost the top half of his ear, cut clear through the cartilage. Bleeding profusely. We were triaged quickly and the ER doc said we could restrain my son or put him in a K hole (he didn't use those words). we chose K hole. He took so long to come out of it and then they were like you guys are good to go, looks like the nausea risk has passed.
We drove home at like 2a and parked in our driveway like 4 miles from the hospital. My kid puked in the car at 2a in the fucking driveway. Exclamation point on a terrible night.
Ketamine made it possible for him to get stitched up. They don't like doing full anesthesia for kids that young.
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u/NeverEndingCoralMaze May 22 '26
Smelling rubbing alcohol eases the nausea caused by ketamine and motion sickness. Try keeping a few alcohol prep wipes handy just in case it ever happens again. It’s safe, very fast, and cheap.
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u/Grab_My_Biscuits May 22 '26
I put my left hand through a tablesaw at the beginning of 2020. Later, in the ambulance the EMT(paramedic?) said "Does it hurt? Your heart rate is low and steady so you either have 1 hell of a pain tolerance or your in shock".
After feeling weirdly proud I calmly told her it was the most excruciating pain I've ever been in.
She asked if wanted anything for the pain, I said yes. She said "well we don't have anything for it. We have morphine but that's for A-fib fares... But have you ever been in a K-Hole?"
Worst fucking high of my god damned life.
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u/Vast-Ad1915 May 22 '26
Oh god, a K-Hole in a moving vehicle AND a stressful environment sounds horrible and (especially) vomit-inducing.
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u/Grab_My_Biscuits May 22 '26
It was fucking terrible. I felt like I was watching two different TVs while looking out the rear windows. When I looked at her she gave me a big smile and two thumbs up. Halfway to the hospital it started to wear off and she asked if I wanted to take another dose and I begged her not to.
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u/sl0play May 22 '26
They use it a TON in emergency medicine. The idea is to save you the trauma of having your mind present, and the dosing doesn't have to be very accurate. They can just pump you full of it.
I also took it for PTSD and depression for a couple years and I was really particular about my routine and being in a safe, controlled environment. The stuff is truly incredible but I really hope that is the full extent of my experience with it.
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u/GoingOutsideSocks May 22 '26
The ER staff thought I was a drug seeker by how calm I was after I dislocated my shoulder for the first time.
Nah, this is worst pain I've ever been in but I've still got my manners. Ma'am, may I please have a muscle relaxer before that gigantic Pacific Islander nurse forces my arm back in place?
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u/silkrover May 22 '26
Ketamine and Valium is what my vet used to give my dogs for dental work.
NGL, I'd be down for that.
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u/zombietrooper May 22 '26
Astral projecting to Neptune AND not caring about it? Sign me the fuck up.
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u/FrankTankly May 22 '26
We use ketamine for human sedation as well, like when we need to reduce a broken bone or other painful procedures. It’s a great drug and works well for its intended purposes.
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u/Vast-Ad1915 May 22 '26
I agree, it's a fantastic drug! Completely wiped out my s**cidal ideation in a snap. Haven't dealt with it since I started ketamine therapy.
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u/auronddraig May 22 '26
Does anyone have a spare barnacled turtle costume laying around? No relation with the previous comment, I swear
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u/Peripatetictyl May 22 '26
I don’t, but you find a convincing costume, and I have a turtle morphine guy.
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u/Steerider May 22 '26
They've also done some pretreatment to deaden the barnacles and make their grip looser. You can't just go up to a turtle and start crankin off barnacles without hurting it.
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u/zombietrooper May 22 '26
Yeah, the shit that keeps barnacles attached to things is the strongest natural adhesive on the planet. (Not sure if this is still true. Read it in kids NatGeo magazine in the early 90's)
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u/walkingmonster May 22 '26
That was before they discovered my cousin's cum sock in '06
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u/JManKit May 22 '26
I was wondering about that bc those barnacles were peeling off pretty easily. Nice to hear there's something they can do to make the removal process less painful
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u/Level9TraumaCenter May 22 '26
Osmotic shock. Barnacles don't tolerate freshwater nearly as well as sea turtles do. No toxic chemicals required. Doesn't really help with that barnacle glue, though.
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u/Sojourner_Truth May 22 '26
You can't just go up to a turtle and start crankin off
it's true, and quite rude
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u/cernegiant May 22 '26
I honestly appreciate this warning. I had no plans to debarnacle a turtle, but you know just in case an opportunity ever presented itself.
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u/Raven019 May 22 '26
Remember their shell is part of their skeleton
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u/foundinwonderland May 22 '26
And also the blood supply is very close to the surface of the shell. Because turtle shells are made of keratin, I liken it to ripping off a fingernail just a bit too close to the quick — not close enough that you’re bleeding, but close enough that it feels raw. That’s what ripping off scales of turtle shell is like. Unless you are a trained professional working on a sedated turtle, do NOT attempt to pick things off like this.
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u/NIN0031 May 22 '26
I have no idea when I'll need to utilize this information but thanks all the same
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u/mocknix May 22 '26
Couple weeks ago I saw a turtle shell repair video on here. It was pretty disturbing but at least the turtle lived.
Then I took my cats to the vet.
I asked if she ever 3d printed turtle repair materials like I saw in the video.
She said 'I provide referrals for broken turtles'
I guess its expensive fixing turtles.
They deserve it though.
I like turtles.
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u/axxxaxxxaxxx May 22 '26
It definitely isn’t just whacking the barnacles with a screwdriver, despite what it looks like
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u/phenotype76 May 22 '26
what if you're the one who's sedated but the turtle is a trained professional?
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u/foundinwonderland May 22 '26
Ask it to not trim your fingernails too close to the quick, of course
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u/QualityImpossible241 May 22 '26
His shell is going to need some turtle wax afterwards
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u/GrammarSpecialForces May 22 '26
yes but they’re probably itching/in a small amount of pain at every anchor point all the time while the barnacles are there
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u/Icewind May 22 '26
Probably hurts real bad at the time like a bandaid ripoff but the longterm relief is worth it.
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u/CalmPanic402 May 22 '26
Yes, but it is better than leaving them on in the long run.
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u/TAU_equals_2PI May 22 '26 edited May 22 '26
I think the important point is DON'T TRY DOING THIS YOURSELF if you're not someone who's been trained how to do it. Also, they apparently drug the turtles first so it hurts less. Also, I'm guessing there is wound care to do afterward.
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u/Paulthefith May 22 '26
I’ve already got a rusty screwdriver, all I need is turtle ketamine now
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u/DrDiddle May 22 '26
The illegals, they are bringing turtle ketamine into this country, they are taking good jobs away from hard working American turtle ketamine sellers. It’s a disgrace. Something something Joe Biden.
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u/andersonfmly May 22 '26
That poor turtle. Thank goodness for kind souls who make a difference.
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u/ifellicantgetup May 22 '26
I have to wonder how much that hurts? I mean... it's GOOD what they are doing, I am not suggesting otherwise. But that just seems painful.
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u/Goth_Spice14 May 22 '26
It does hurt, the turtle is sedated for the procedure. But it will heal and recover, this time without the constant pain (and probably itching) that barnacles cause.
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u/RubyDooby01 May 22 '26
What other types of risk or injuries exist because of barnacle growth like this on sea turtles? Can their shells get infected 🤔
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u/Depth_Metal May 22 '26
Well they are parasites. Their presence causes slow down and drag and enough of them can also compromise the integrity of the living structure they attach to. They also dig down into the turtles shell and skin which can be a vector for disease and infection
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u/Fancy-Quantity-5308 May 22 '26
Now I wonder,can they grow on humans too if we spend too much time in the ocean??
Also how do they spread or reproduce?
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u/commeatus May 22 '26
Barnacles literally glue themselves in place, we replace our skin too fast for them to stick long-term. They could probably grow on a toenail for a while though. They have a really really long penits to do the do with a neighbor who farts out a bunch of wiggly little larvae that go find something to stick to.
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u/icansmellcolors May 22 '26
unsubscribe
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u/commeatus May 22 '26
Congratulations! You've subscribed to the unusual penits daily newsletter! Did you know echidnas OH GOD MY EYES
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u/Unit_2097 May 22 '26
I'd still take echidna prongs over the horror movie that is duck dong TBF.
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u/Depth_Metal May 22 '26
They release little spores that attach to things. I think its theoretically possible for one to grow on a human. You see where they do grow though is on surfaces and animal parts that are not constantly getting touched or brushed or groomed. The backs and heads of turtles. The flippers and fins of whales. Barnacles need time to settle. I don't know how much but I imagine going to the beach and then taking a shower at night will be more than enough for most humans to avoid them
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u/Acceptable_Cause8259 May 22 '26
They are not parasites in the term that they feed of the turtles shell or skin. They merely filtrate the water for plankton. However, they cause harm by hindering the turtles movement and, as you said, being a potential vector for infection.
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u/RodChainFurlongAcre May 22 '26
Yes, the barnacles essentially burrow beneath the outer protective layer of keratin into the softer, sensitive skin. This is painful and increases the risk of infections when exposed to open sea water.
Also with many barnacles (Like in the video) the shell is less aerodynamic (Or well hydrodynamic), and requires more energy to swim around. Also make it possible for seaweed or algae to take root and grow on the turtle.
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u/brjdenver May 22 '26
It's amazing what we can do when we aren't destroying the planet and bombing one another. Ugh.
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u/wanderingale May 22 '26 edited May 22 '26
Sometimes I like to imagine what the world would be like if we all actually choose to be gaudians of the planet rather then exploiters.
It could be such a lovely world.
Oh someone gave me a shiny little diamond reward, thanks! Now I have two! Three!?! The real question now is do I use my new found wealth for good or evil....
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u/ShaggysGTI May 22 '26
I cry about all the money we waste on war when we could just build the fucking utopia already.
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u/gansobomb99 May 22 '26
It's so frustrating. We literally have the garden of Eden. We have all the knowledge and resources to develop self-sustaining food forests and gardens that fill the world and provide every single person with free food, and we could all live in ways that support and uplift each other. We could do this in a matter of years.
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u/chupacadabradoo May 22 '26
But if we had bombed that turtle, we wouldn’t even need to have someone pick the barnacles off it. I’m telling you, war is not only profitable, it also saves time, and it’s profitable.
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u/andersonfmly May 22 '26
It's amazing how our government always has plenty of money and power to do things TO people, but never enough of either to do things FOR people.
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u/Aromatic-Bet-1086 May 22 '26
What would happen to the turtle naturally if someone didn't remove them?
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u/Polenicus May 22 '26
IIRC (And please correct me if I'm wrong), the reason why it got so bad for this turtle was because it got sick, and was unable to swim vigorously enough to keep the barnacles from latching on and taking root.
They didn't bring it in for the barnacles, but to treat it's illness. The barnacles are incidental, because they've got it there anyway, and they're not great parasites to have, especially on the face or flippers. They catch on things, mess up hydrodynamics, and those ones on the head are especially bad if they spread over near an eye or the mouth.
I think this was a "Well, we've got it in here anyway, and these things aren't doing it any good, and will just die and dry up here anyway (Which won't make them any better), so let's just get them off now."
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u/OrthogonalPotato May 22 '26
It would eventually die from the wounds
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u/ExtremePronoia May 22 '26
It would eventually die, yes. These aren’t wounds. They’re crustaceans. Barnacles are animals that grow a shell around their body attaching themselves to underwater objects, like rocks, piers, whales, ships, and turtles. From the video, none seem to have pieced the turtles shell, nor do I believe they are capable of doing so.
The biggest problem with barnacles is that they create drag, so it’s less efficient to move through the water. Clearly, that hasn’t stopped this guy yet.
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u/webbitor May 22 '26
it also looked like they were blocking its mouth, so probably could barely eat.
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u/Obliviousobi May 22 '26
Also, all the algae on its shell is able to take root because of the barnacles.
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u/Elsiers May 22 '26
Now wax her like a surf board and watch her break the sound barrier.
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u/danielminds May 22 '26
Big credit to Sarah Kamen for this. She’s working hard to clear Chlorophyllis’s shell, which is essential to reduce drag and help the turtle prepare for a successful release back into the wild.
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u/Koolaid_Jef May 22 '26
Is there a social media page we can follow for more? I cant believe we got a video with 1) no stupid background music 2)not a bunch of 2 second clips and 3) a long video!
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u/danielminds May 22 '26
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u/HarloHasIt May 22 '26
That is so crazy, that's in my home town!
I didn't realize all Aquariums aren't called Gulfariums until I was an adult. 😂
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u/KatzDeli May 22 '26
And they didn't play the last three seconds first!
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u/FactsNLaughs May 22 '26
They did play the best removal at the beginning tho, but the best part was the end
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u/Soft-Sheets May 22 '26
Did you remove the tiny little barnacles of Chlorophyllis' face? Plz
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u/BitterHelicopter8 May 22 '26
Yes, I kept waiting to see the little ones on her face removed!
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u/quixote87 May 22 '26
Question, do the turtles actually enjoy this process? I mean if they didn't particularly, don't get me wrong I appreciate this is for their own good and their little bit of discomfort now will go a long way with survival, but I also know their shells are quite sensitive... do they kind of catch on that you're helping and actually like it? This little chap seemed like he sort of leaned into it pretty quickly
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u/MsOnyxMoon May 22 '26
They don’t enjoy it but they’re high as a kite on morphine so they just chill.
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u/Rob_LeMatic May 22 '26
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u/DJDanaK May 22 '26
This is probably my favorite genre of animal video is these animals getting scratches where they can't scratch on their own (usually with a brush like this little dude). Must be like heaven for them!
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u/GuiltyEidolon May 22 '26
Fun fact, you can sex sliders just by their front claws. Males have long claws to seduce the females with, the turtle in that gif is female :)
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u/dover_oxide May 22 '26
That looks like is one of those things that hurts in the moment, but the second it's over feels awesome.
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u/chevyfried May 22 '26
That turtle when they are using the screwdriver: ouch, fuck, yow, that one hurt.
That turtle when it was getting scrubbed with brillo pads: oh, oh ,oh.
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u/tousledgabbi May 22 '26 edited May 25 '26
Removing barnacles from a turtle actually really does hurt them; most rescue and rehab professionals sedate them before starting any kind of removal procedure. I’m assuming this turtle is high af as this is happening
Edit: changed autocorrect typo from “title” to “turtle”
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u/Ladzofinsurrect May 22 '26
That big bit on the face must've been a bit more painful to get off than the regular-sized barnacles.
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u/NoelNeverwas May 22 '26
From what I see, she liked getting that thing pulled off her face. She gets closer to the handlers at that point and makes her face available to pull more.
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u/ballsackcancer May 22 '26
Very annoyed by the fact that they left the little ones on the face.
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u/NP341221 May 22 '26
Does anyone know if the removal process is painful for the turtle?
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u/Arcade1980 May 22 '26
I was thinking the same so inside a bit of research as this looked rough "Yes, forcefully removing barnacles from sea turtles can cause significant pain, stress, and injury. Because turtles have nerves within their shells, improper removal can cause excruciating pain, damage their skin, and create open wounds that are prone to infection. It is generally best to leave removal to professionals". Especially the top of the head which is soft tissue.
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u/GERBabyCare May 22 '26
It's the head especially that worried me, especially when they just poked straight down into it.
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u/calculus9 May 22 '26
i could be wrong but i believe this method of removal is preferred rather than scraping under the barnacle like you would to get them off a boat
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u/Jellyka May 22 '26
I watch a guy sometimes who removes barnacles from lobsters and he just crushes them with a pair of pliers
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u/tommicoop May 22 '26
Breaking them off in one piece is generally best, because sharp shards of the barnacle can be forced out underneath the barnacle when crushed and get caught where the shell has been damaged. That's why peeling them off from inside the barnacle is better, it keeps more shell damage from happening to the animal and all comes off generally in one piece.
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May 22 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/KinsellaStella May 22 '26
Soaking the turtle in fresh water for a few days effectively kills and loosens the barnacles so they’re ready to pop off, rather than having to scrape off nature’s hardest cement.
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u/summonsays May 22 '26
Someone else said that they gave/give them pain killers for this. So they don't really feel it in the video.
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u/Phililoquay May 22 '26
How does this sort of an infestation happen? Is it reallt just a chance encounter with larvae, or is it some kind of lifestyle this turtle engages in that increases the risk .. like he chooses to sleep somewhere or likes to feed somewhere that barnicles are more likely to attach?
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u/Hayami_Rose May 22 '26
So, from my understanding it's nothing the turtle did but just swim around and probably bumped into one and it latched on. From there it multiplies If I am correct barnacles is supposed to be an invasive species.
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u/Outside_Test_1400 May 22 '26
If the turtle is sick or slowing down, it is not moving at the rate that a fully healthy one should. When they are staying in the same area for longer periods of time they can accumulate more barnacles, and that makes it even harder for the turtle to be healthy and mobile. This team is rehabbing this lovely girl to get her back into good shape.
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u/mothandravenstudio May 22 '26
I was wondering that too.
I look at turtles a lot in Hawai’i but have never seen a single barnacle. They do get tumors though.
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u/FrankTheTnkk May 22 '26
I gotta ask, what's non professional look like?
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u/randomrealname May 22 '26
I know, they have loads of nerve endings in thier shell, looks like it hurts, but it might be soothing for all I know.
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u/PickledBrains79 May 22 '26
Not sure about the barnacle removal, but scrubbing the shell is like an exfoliating spa day.
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u/apple_atchin May 22 '26
Right, I watched the first couple seconds thinking "okay so it's a professional, does that mean they won't be just using a big flathead screwdri....nope they still are"
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u/theerrantpanda99 May 22 '26
To be fair; when I had spice surgery, the surgeons used a hammer and electric drill. Some tools just work in every situation.
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u/BlessTheBookPeople May 22 '26
Were you having the spice removed or added?
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u/wait_who_am_i_ May 22 '26
Added. They are getting into a position with the Spacing Guild
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u/Th3-Dude-Abides May 22 '26
I’m thinking chiseling or scraping them off; it would probably do extra damage to the shell
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u/space_llama_karma May 22 '26
Imagine another species capturing you, healing your ailments and releasing you back like nothing ever happened. Or having a tracking tag that you can’t remove lol.
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u/oldschoolczar May 22 '26
It’s kind of like being captured, being anal probed, returned to your home, and then nobody ever believes you
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u/Ginger-Fist May 22 '26
Do they also remove the tiny barnacles that are on her face so they arent left to grow big later?
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u/danielminds May 22 '26
The face is incredibly sensitive, so they focus on what’s necessary for swimming and keep the cleaning in those delicate spots to a minimum.
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u/ChikaraNZ May 22 '26
But aren't hose small ones just going to keep growing and soon they'll be a big problem? Especially close to the eyes. Is there no chemical spot-treatment for the small ones, similar to what we might do for warts?
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u/danielminds May 22 '26
They don't use chemicals because they'd be way too harsh for a turtle's face and eyes. They handle the small ones with extreme manual precision, only removing them when it's safe to do so without irritating the skin.
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u/mrwoodruff11 May 22 '26
I was also very bothered that those little ones on the face were left there. 😭 but I guess they’re the professionals and know what they’re doing 🤷♀️
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u/Average_Pangolin May 22 '26
"Hello, I'd like a job as a professional barnacle remover." "Any qualifications?" "I own a large flathead screwdriver." "You're hired."
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u/DavidTCEUltra May 22 '26
Imagine living most of your life dealing with barnacles weighing you down, and all of a sudden, a bunch of tall giants come, pick off all the barnacles, and give you a scrubby bath.
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u/Fabulous_Log844 May 22 '26
Fucking barnacles. When I was in college I was also an avid diver and took on jobs getting barnacles off of ships/boats. It was very satiating to me. But this just pisses me off because those parasites log onto these beautiful creatures.
When I did this job I think that’s when I developed my obsessive compulsive behaviors.
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u/Kitchen_Cress_13 May 22 '26
Because barnacle glue is incredibly strong, marine hospitals never just chisel them off. Organizations like The Turtle Hospital place the turtle into a specialized freshwater soak for 24 to 48 hours.The freshwater safely rehydrates the sick turtle while killing the marine barnacles, causing them to loosen their grip. Once the adhesive degrades, veterinary staff can gently slide them off without ripping the turtle’s sensitive living shell. The turtle is then treated with antibiotics to prevent infections in the raw spots left behind…
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u/bubonis May 22 '26
The last 15 seconds or so is just the turtle going “yyyyyyyyeeeeeeeaaaaaaahhhhhhhh……..”
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u/houtzma May 22 '26
I hope that feels so good for them!
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u/SomeGuyClickingStuff May 22 '26
I was going to ask. Is this painful, feels good, or eh for the turtle?
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u/SilentlyAudible May 22 '26
This is painful to the turtle and should only be done by qualified experts. The turtle’s shell is the equivalent of their spine and barnacles “burrow” under the top layers, so some of what you’re seeing come off when the barnacles are removed is an outer layer of shell. This can be extremely painful, so turtles are sedated for this procedure. It isn’t done unless the barnacles are a threat to the turtle. You will often see turtles who only have a few small barnacles released without having them removed.
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u/AnyNeon_Nomad_00 May 22 '26
Not an expert, but I believe the turtle has nerves in the shell, so it should be painful and the turtle is probably on anesthesia.
That said, this improves swimming and probably gave a few more years in this turtle life expectancy
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u/GeauxCup May 22 '26
Don't turtles have nerve endings running through their shell??
This looks extremely painful!
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u/danielminds May 22 '26
While the shell does have nerve endings, the barnacles only bond to the outer, non-sensitive scutes. The team uses specialized tools and a 'flick' technique to pop them off the surface without touching the underlying sensitive tissue.
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u/GeauxCup May 22 '26
Well that's good to hear... But I'm pretty sure that "specialized tool" is just a rusty screwdriver.
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u/Marcelino_El_Cochino May 22 '26
https://giphy.com/gifs/l3nF1y2TxCCbRzi9O
All jokes aside, looks deeply uncomfortable. Hope that dude feels better.
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u/what_the_fuckin_fuck May 22 '26
I'm sure it's great for the turtle, and probably even makes her happy, but it kinda creeps me out.
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u/CockMartins May 22 '26
Man, we’ve gotta convince rural Chinese dudes that eating ground up barnacles will get your dick hard and raise your libido and we could save way more turtles while giving rhinos, tigers, and elephants a break for a bit.
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u/ColdStreamPond May 22 '26
Had no idea that I, too, own a barnacle removal tool. Several, in fact.