Water Moccasin

SteveDiver · Jun 26, 2005

Has anyone ever encountered a water moccasin while diving? I am deathly afraid of snakes and do not know how I would react if I saw one while diving. If you encountered one are they agresive? do they swim away from you? how did you react? Just wondering...I went diving in freshwater on Saturday and could not help but think about encountering one. I know for a fact that if I saw one I probably would never dive freshwater again....had a bad snake experience when I was 5 years old...I would probably kill myself just getting away from one...

pete340 · Jun 26, 2005

goofystan:
Has anyone ever encountered a water moccasin while diving? I am deathly afraid of snakes and do not know how I would react if I saw one while diving. If you encountered one are they agresive? do they swim away from you? how did you react? Just wondering...I went diving in freshwater on Saturday and could not help but think about encountering one. I know for a fact that if I saw one I probably would never dive freshwater again....had a bad snake experience when I was 5 years old...I would probably kill myself just getting away from one...

If it's not wearing a SCUBA tank, don't worry about it. It won't follow you down. <g>

The Kraken · Jun 26, 2005

Stan,
Keep in mind that throughout the southern states that there are at least 20 different species of non-poisonous water snakes. Just because it's a snake, it's dark and it's near the water doesn't necessarily make it a "watter moccasin".

Now I'm not saying that the snake you saw wasn't a water moccasin, I'm just saying that there was about a 95% chance that it wasn't.

Water moccasins can be aggressive, but that's above water. But like any other wild creature, if it's territorial imperative is threatened, it will attack.

Just make sure that when you reach back to check your regulator hose - it doesn't move on its own !!! :11:

Have fun !!!!

the K

HarleyDiver · Jun 26, 2005

Actually, while my wife & I were taking our Cavern course at Ginnie Springs, we had a close encounter with a water snake.

We were standing around the stairs, mostly in the water, discussing our last dive. Suddenly a 3' snake swam right in between Jim Wyatt & my wife. It swam off before any of us had time to react. We saw several more swimming around the edges that day as well.

Now this was when the water was VERY high, (top of stairs), and I assume the snakes were being pushed out of there natural spaces due to the flooding.

Remember, you are bigger than them, if you don't threaten them they will probably try to get away from you. Do NOT corner them.

DaFireMedic · Jun 26, 2005

In addition, water moccasin bites are very rarely fatal, and I would say that its next to impossible to get bit by one while scuba diving.

DeputyDan · Jun 26, 2005

Eels look alot like snakes - you need to handle this fear before doing saltwater reef diving.

A big old moray like Mr. Rogers (In Bonaire in from of Captain Don's) wouldn't be good for you to meet.

DD

SteveDiver · Jun 26, 2005

DeputyDan:
Eels look alot like snakes - you need to handle this fear before doing saltwater reef diving.

A big old moray like Mr. Rogers (In Bonaire in from of Captain Don's) wouldn't be good for you to meet.

DD

I have been on many saltwater reef dives and yes encountered several Moray's did not phase me...Thanks..

Saipanman · Jun 26, 2005

goofystan:
I have been on many saltwater reef dives and yes encountered several Moray's did not phase me...Thanks..

I don't think that morays were the point. There are a bunch of eels that look nothing like morays and EXACTLY like snakes.

SuPrBuGmAn · Jun 26, 2005

This was at the bottom of the basin at Ginnie Springs. It wasn't aggressive at all, but it wasn't intimidated by us either. It did swim in our direction, but we got out of its way as it went past us on its way to a submerged limb.

Valwood1 · Jun 26, 2005

Water mocassins ain't eels. They're nasty and often aggressive. While it's true that their (or a rattler's) bite rarely is fatal, my understanding is that the bite can damage permanently the muscle where it hits.

Water Moccasin

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