Barnacles are tough creatures and they don't let go easily. Trying to remove them, especially on areas of soft tissue can be very painful and damage the turtle.

Should you remove barnacles from turtle?

All barnacles increase surface drag and decrease the overall hydrodynamic shape of the turtle. Barnacles can be pried off with a variety of tools, but care should be taken with those that have damaged the shell. These should be removed with care so as to not create further injury.

Do turtles feel pain from barnacles?

Most barnacles do not hurt sea turtles as they are only attached to the shell or skin on the outside. Others though burrow into the skin of the host and might cause discomfort and provide an open target area for following infections. Excessive barnacle cover can be a sign of general bad health of a turtle.