WHAT SEAGULLS DRINK

[internationa]

DO SEAGULLS DRINK SEA WATER?

[New Forester]

At least some sea-birds must do, as many species live for weeks at a time at sea. Not sure about gulls specifically, as most live near land where perhaps they can always get fresh water. They do certainly like fresh water, and will wash and drink where streams run into the sea. The problem with drinking sea-water is that you have to remove the salt from the blood and excrete it in the urine. If (as in humans) your kidneys cannot produce urine which is saltier than the sea-water you drank, your kidneys have to produce more liquid than you drink, you become dehydrated and you die. Marine vertebrate animals such as whales, seals, albatrosses and turtles (perhaps gulls too) have much bigger kidneys than us, which can produce very salty urine. This allows them to drink sea-water if they need to. Also, sea fish are much less salty than sea-water. If you eat enough of them you can get quite a bit of non-salty water that way.