OP
kabluton
Contributor
JoeFL:
Too late! I fed the fish. :l:
Rules about touching the marine life
- Thread starter kabluton
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Too late! I fed the fish. :l:
Damselfish
Contributor
I don't have a problem with teasing the damsels a little. It's not touching and they seem to stick up for themselves very well. They act pretty much the same if you're just there doing nothing. I'd swear they enjoy it.
I like to hang my hand in front of a lobster (the non-clawed kind), they will usually feel your hand with their antennae. They there's getting your hand cleaned by a cleaner shrimp, that seems pretty harmless. Again, that's mostly their idea.
Aside from whether just touching stresses a critter or not, one concern is if it removes protective mucus or something and how much that matters, I don't really know so I don't. Of course hard corals are pretty well known not to appreciate touching. I've been known to brush certain soft corals gently on occasion, they feel nice. tThe few things I touch, some divemaster that seemed to know what were talking about demonstrated or said it was ok at some point. Not that they all know what they are doing. I had a DM once pick up some slightly stinging critter and hand it to me. I was thinking "don't they sting, well this must be a type that doesn't?" Not! The DM must have been immune or something.
I like to hang my hand in front of a lobster (the non-clawed kind), they will usually feel your hand with their antennae. They there's getting your hand cleaned by a cleaner shrimp, that seems pretty harmless. Again, that's mostly their idea.
Aside from whether just touching stresses a critter or not, one concern is if it removes protective mucus or something and how much that matters, I don't really know so I don't. Of course hard corals are pretty well known not to appreciate touching. I've been known to brush certain soft corals gently on occasion, they feel nice. tThe few things I touch, some divemaster that seemed to know what were talking about demonstrated or said it was ok at some point. Not that they all know what they are doing. I had a DM once pick up some slightly stinging critter and hand it to me. I was thinking "don't they sting, well this must be a type that doesn't?" Not! The DM must have been immune or something.
oceancrest67
Guest
I keep my arms folded and tucked away. I keep my bouyancy in check and I observe marine life only...I do not touch unless approached by a sizable creature that warrants some kind of interaction. Restraint and good judgement are the keys.
I have seen too many divers beat up the reefs with fins and chase and scare fish of all kinds. Feeding fish is bad. Alas, many a diver has made many a fish used to divers. These kinds of behaviors only corrupt the fish and their environment.
I have seen too many divers beat up the reefs with fins and chase and scare fish of all kinds. Feeding fish is bad. Alas, many a diver has made many a fish used to divers. These kinds of behaviors only corrupt the fish and their environment.
R
redacted
Guest
Corigan:
When we fished for them years ago (in norther waters where they were not poisonous), it required long shank hooks and fast reeling. And you still replaced the hook every 5 fish or so.
They taste like frog legs.
JoeFL
Registered
kabluton:
Doh! Sorry about that
I was attacked by a "grey seargant" in Bonaire. First it swam in circles, before head butting my mask, then it swam passed me and slapped the back of my head before attacking my forearm. Well by that time I had drifted past him and accidentaly "ahem" flicked my fin at him. Brave and absolutely suicidal little fish!
Lil' Irish Temper
Guest
My signature is the rule they told me when I first arrived in Panama when I was in the Army. The worst was the dart frog, But a dart froggie isn't Marine Life or is it
Same principal though.
Same principal though.
- Messages
- 93,694
- Reaction score
- 92,254
- Location
- On the Fun Side of Trump's Wall
- # of dives
- 2500 - 4999
H2Andy:
I recently got in trouble for playing with a harbor seal that came to me and interacted with me ... be careful about what you touch, and what species are protected by law from human "harassment". The seal didn't seem to mind ... but some fellow divers sure did ... :11:
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
H2Andy
Contributor
oh yeah... of course...
the only experience i have is with manatees: you can't chase them or bother
them, but if they come to you, it's ok to hang out with them for as long as
they want
the only experience i have is with manatees: you can't chase them or bother
them, but if they come to you, it's ok to hang out with them for as long as
they want
- Messages
- 93,694
- Reaction score
- 92,254
- Location
- On the Fun Side of Trump's Wall
- # of dives
- 2500 - 4999
kabluton:
It's a type of sculpin. They're basically a big fish head with a tail ... anywhere from a foot to about three feet in length ... and normally rather docile. But during nesting season the males get very "protective" of the eggs ... think Jabba the Hutt with a bad attitude ...
http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/1459
They will charge at you and head-butt you ... sometimes in the face if you're not careful. It usually doesn't hurt ... but it can startle the heck out of you. I've had them run smack into my tank at high speed ... only to back up, take aim, and do it again! Man, that's gotta hurt!
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Similar threads
