Is it true that turtles can cry?

To human eyes, such a scene might look heartbreaking, but there's no need to be sad. Sea turtle tears are not at all related to their emotions and do not indicate that a turtle is sad. Instead, turtle tears serve a very practical purpose.

Sea turtles drink water, but because they live in the ocean, that water is filled with salt. In order to maintain a salt balance in their bodies, sea turtles have special "salt glands" behind their eyes. When they drink saltwater, the extra salt enters the turtle's bloodstream and is sent to the animal's salt glands. The salt glands then make a liquid that is twice as salty as the original saltwater sipped by the sea turtle, and then that salty solution leaves the sea turtle through its eyes, as tears.

Similar salt glands are found in sea birds and marine iguanas.

So if you ever see a tear rolling down a turtle's cheek, don't try to comfort it. Everyone needs a good cry every now and then, especially salty sea turtles.