sea turtles

[DixieReb]

Does anybody know if all sea turtles are carnivores? I thought all were vegetarians, but today I caught one on a bottom shrimp rig. He swallowed the small hook and I didn't want to injure him removing it so I cut it off and he was released most likely unharmed. He had a rough shell, kind of like the ones on freshwater snappers. And a long, sharp beak. I wasn't sure if he was safe to handle, but he was really calm during the time I removed the pier net from around him and held him up for release. What does he sound like? I didn't get any pics.

[Dubble Trubble]

I have hooked quite a few on squid when shore fishing at Alligator Point. Apparently, the do like a little meat every now and then!


Dubble

[Seachaser]

Saw a documentary on the logger head sea turtle and it eats meat only when a certain age. Mostly small crabs, etc.

[fly n fish]

It was most likely a Kemps Ridley seaturtle. They are omnivores meaning they will eat most anything. They are often caught around public fishing piers. Sadly, many sea turtles get into serious trouble eating floating trash that we create. Fish hooks and sinkers are a big problems as well but we only end up treating a small fraction of those injured. I have to say that they are truly the most resilient creatures I have ever seen.

[charlie tuna]

I once caught a 300 pound sea turtle, back when it was legal. I turned it over to the Miami Sea Aquarium, for their turtle pen. The professor their told me they eat both meats and grass, but over 75 percent vegetation and sometimes "more" depending where they are located in the oceans. He explained that turtles in captivity grow more than twice the rate as those in the wild because they get more meat or fish in their diet...

[leonreno]

Last year fishing at the Panama City beach piers they were a terrible nucciance, saw several eat live or dead bait free lined for king mackerel.
I always thought there favorite food was jellyfish.

[Danibeth]

Leatherbacks eat jellyfish. There must be lots of jellyfish for them to get so big.
Loggerheads eat crabs, mollusks, gastropods, and encrusting animals attached to reefs and rocks to name a few.
Greens eat seagrass and seaweed but I have heard of people catching juveniles on shrimp. In fact they get their name because of the color of their fat....which is green...which comes from their highly vegetarian diet.
Hawksbills, and i'd be incredibly surprised if that's what you caught, eat primarily sponges. They are a goooorgeous sea turtle.
Kemp's Ridleys eat primarily blue crabs, clams, mussels, fish and jellyfish.

Here's a pretty good key for identifying turtles by their shells

[onefishtwofish]

Wondered when you would find this post Danibeth. If she is so inclined, she has some amazing turtle pics.