Eel attack at Stingray City, Grand Cayman

[zahner]

There used to be a site in Islamorada that featured a lot of eels coming out whenever they heard a boat anchor. It was early on in our diving, and it was quite unnerving for the wife and I. Does anyone remember the name of it? I'm thinking it was Crocker's Wall, but I'm not sure. And I'm pretty sure there was a Buddha statue there.

When I get motivated, I'll dig out my log book. It was in the early 90s.

Davis Reef perhaps? was there last October. didn't notice anything like that with the eels, but there was a buddha statue.

 

[DiveRich]

It was Davis Reef, thanks. It was a long time ago, guess they stopped.

 

[uspap]

I'm surprised the eel took that long to get pissed off. Dude was asking for it. Not only is his hand jacked but so is his foot. I'm going to the same spot in August. I don't plan on feeding anything.

 

[hoopstar2323]

i bet thats something the tour operator forgets to mention to his paying customers

 

[gregpsych]

You feed wild animals and you are asking for problems--it doesn't matter if it is an eel, stingray, shark, bear, mountain lion, or my late mother-in-law. I posted the problem I had at stingray city in Sept. It took over 4 months until my arm fully recovered. I love watching rays and eels--I won't do it at stingray city again.

 

[diver 85]

You feed wild animals and you are asking for problems--it doesn't matter if it is an eel, stingray, shark, bear, mountain lion, or my late mother-in-law. I posted the problem I had at stingray city in Sept. It took over 4 months until my arm fully recovered. I love watching rays and eels--I won't do it at stingray city again.

Things have not changed much @ SRC I see...in In '89 or '90 on our 1st SRC dive, they warned us of possibly leaving with a hicky.....Is sting ray Darth Vader still alive/hanging around????....

 

[cruisegirl]

Well I finally got to do the dive at Stingray City that I wanted to do... And luckily, no eel to be seen......lol..... And yes, I think Darth Vader stingray is around.... I have a golf ball size bruise/hicky from one of them.. Got hickied by 2 of them but one was stronger than the other.. Their suction is amazing.......

 

[susan6868]

I dove stingray city last November...........

Is it true that green morays become "habituated' to divers from repeated exposure?

Well, I can tell you that we dove Stingray City last November with Divetech out of Cobalt Coast. They told us we would see huge eel with cataracts that was probably blind. Sure enough, in the middle of all these rays comes the biggest green moray I've ever seen. It was all over us, winding between our legs, coming at our masks with mouth open, swimming right out in the open going from diver to diver looking for fooed much the way a dog does at a backyard barbeque. It unglued my husband so much he ended the dive early, but since we were only at about 18 or so feet deep, I hung out and watched the DM "play" with it, petting it, and luring it with the bait box.
It was pretty neat at the time, but in hindsight I realize it was probably a bad idea.
Sooner or later someone is going to get bit, even if the eel is not agitated and just mistakes a finger for some eats.
Can green eels become habituated? You betcha, this eel was more comfortable with people than most house cats I've known.
I have a great picture of the eel with the divers, but haven't figured out how to post it here. If someone tells me how to post it here, I'll be happy to share it!