5 Worst Predators of Sea Turtles | What Animals EAT Sea Turtles?

The sea turtles, despite their resistant shell and their long evolutionary history, are far from safe to live. Their size and hard shell can make us believe that they are untouchable, but that is very far from reality. Despite being a creature that has survived dinosaurs and has navigated oceans for millions of years, of the 7 species of sea turtles that exist, absolutely all face voracious predators. But let's get to the point, what are their predators and how do sea turtles try to defend themselves from them? Although sea turtles grow enough to appear invulnerable, sharks definitely have the necessary tools to go through even the hardest shell. Sharks, especially the tiger shark, are one of the best known predators of sea turtles. Its powerful jaw can fracture the shell of adult turtles, and its hunting style, based on ambushes, makes them especially effective. Various attacks of tiger sharks have been documented in regions such as Hawaii, where they coincide with the migratory routes of green turtles. Even the great white shark can occasionally prey on them. Turtles try to defend themselves by swimming as fast as they can or taking refuge in reefs, and they have even been recorded defending themselves by trying to bite their attackers. But in the face of a shark with great determination, they often have no escape. Their only hope is not to be detected, or well, that the shark is not hungry. Before a sea turtle reaches the sea, sadly it must already fight for its life. Just as you hear it, crabs, like the ghost crab, patiently wait for the exact moment in which the young emerge from their nests. With the help of their powerful claws, they capture the defenseless young and drag them underground in a matter of seconds. On some beaches of the Pacific and the Caribbean, these crusaders even form attack lines, waiting for the little turtles to head to the sea to capture them and eat them little by little and bite by bite. The instinctive tactic of the young to avoid being devoured is clear, run, run and run. Their race to the sea is one of the most dramatic scenes in nature, and many are left on the road, becoming part of the food chain. Just when the little turtles believe they have survived the crabs, a new enemy appears in the game of life, or rather, in the game of death. Birds such as seagulls, seagulls and pelicans stalk the beaches where sea turtles nest. Their excellent natural vision allows them to detect any movement in the sand, from the highest point in the sky. In areas such as the west coast of Central America, events have been observed where dozens of birds simultaneously attack the little turtles as they run to the sea. Some birds even eat up to 10 young in one morning. And it is that, as we saw in the video about how sea birds hunt, many of them swallow their prey in one bite. The only defense of the little turtles is darkness, so many species hatch at night. But if they do not reach the sea before dawn, the rays of the sun come accompanied by their plumeriferous verdugos. Adult turtles do not have many enemies, but the orcas are among the few capable of overcoming them, and they do so with chilling cold. Orcas are not only the largest predators in the world, they are also the smartest. Well, for a reason they are dolphins, right? Although due to their large size they look like whales, the orcas belong to the family of ocean dolphins. To hunt, the orcas do not use their large jaws to capture the turtles by breaking their shell, they prefer to suffocate the animal or tire it until it gives up. Orcas have been observed hunting turtles in regions such as the Gulf of California or the Galapagos Islands. They use their great strength to hit them underwater, leaving them defenseless. They play with them until they get tired and even suffocate them, preventing the turtles from rising to the surface to breathe. Sea turtles have been documented as something like the beach ball of the orcas, which, after playing with them, end up devouring them. Although it may seem strange, crocodiles share an ecosystem with sea turtles and are not friendly at all. The largest marine crocodile in the world can be found in the coastal areas of Southeast Asia, Australia and Papua New Guinea. They can exceed 6 meters long, and yes, they have been observed preying on sea turtles. It is an ambush hunter, he waits on the coast where sea turtles approach to nest their eggs. Its bite is one of the strongest in the animal kingdom, and once this crocodile closes its jaws, there is no turning back. The turtle will never be able to escape, beyond the food chain. Despite all these natural predators, the main danger of sea turtles comes from a particular species, the human one. Each natural predator has its place in the ecosystem, but when the balance breaks because of the human being, the consequences feel global. Every year, thousands of sea turtles die accidentally trapped in fishing nets. Many others suffer from plastic pollution, because they sometimes confuse bags with jellyfish, or by the destruction of their nesting beaches due to urbanization. To avoid that, every little action counts. It reduces plastic consumption, helps reserves and respects nesting areas. Because by protecting the turtles, we protect the balance of the oceans. Look at this other video, leave us a like and comment. See you!