Turtle question

[diverrick]

During a recent vacation my wife and saw, no less than 5 sleeping turtles on a single night dive. This brought up a question about the sleeping turtles. They have to surface to breath, but if they are asleep, how often do they have to come up for air? I figure they go into some sort of torpor and therefore they don't burn so much air. Any one know for sure?

 

[Diver Dennis]

The sea turtle's body is wonderfully adapted to life in the ocean. Their shells are lighter and more streamlined than those of their terrestrial counterparts, and their front and rear limbs have evolved into flippers making them efficient and graceful swimmers, capable of swimming long distances in a relatively short period of time. Sea turtles have been known to move through the water as fast as 35 mph. When active, sea turtles swim to the surface every few minutes in order to breathe. When sleeping or resting, which usually occurs at night, adult sea turtles can remain underwater for more than 2 hours without breathing. This is due to the fact that turtles are capable of containing higher concentrations of carbon dioxide in their blood than most other air-breathing animals, enabling them to use their oxygen very efficiently. Both muscles and blood are able to store oxygen in large quantities, allowing sea turtles to remain underwater for such long periods of time. Juvenile sea turtles have not developed this ability as well as adults and must sleep afloat at the water's surface.

Link:http://www.allthesea.com/Sea-Turtles.html

 

[archman]

They've also got a gas exchange organ in their butt. It's like a miniature gill, maybe.

 

[Walter]

I don't remember that as being one of the five "turtle questions."

 

[rjpv]

I've heard they can stay inactive underwater for anywhere from 45min to 8hr depending on conditions.

This is one reason why you should never harass a turtle going to the surface - if it is ascending it really needs to breathe!