Marine life bites...or that's a moray

I have to confess a certain morbid curiosity stimulated by some of the postings to the shark related threads on this list. I'd like to hear about other close encounters with marine life other than sharks that "left its mark" on our esteemed group of divers.

Here's one to start you out:

A dermatologist friend of mine recently told me about a woman who came into his office to have some stitches on her neck inspected. My doctor friend noted where two large v-shaped gashes on on side of her neck straddling her carotid artery had been expertly stitched together with silk thread (no longer commonly used for stitching wounds in the US).

She told him she had been on a diving vacation in Roatan Honduras. The divemaster had brought a "chumsicle" down to site to entice a friendly visit. A 6-foot green moray surprised the woman diver, some distance away from the dm, by swimming up behind her as she neared the sandy bottom and proceeded to sink its teeth into her neck. Dive was aborted and she was flown to a hospital where her wounds were dressed and treated.

I've heard of morays biting fingers stuck into their lairs or holding food but never otherwise. Any other strange if bloody encounters with beasties?

I've been bit or otherwise hurt by snapper, grouper, crabs, and some worms.

I have a buddy that keeps a list of what has betten him over the years. It is quite long & has some strange things on it, to say the least. Two hard moray hits and a bad bite by a bull lobster were the most damaging. The longest to heal was an octopus about 4" across the arms. That took over 6 weeks for the necrosis from the venom to heal. The "head" on that critter was a bit smaller than a pencil eraser.

FT

Has nobody ever told you guys that if you leave the creatures alone to live their lives they will not bite you?

In most cases people that get bitten deserve it!

Cheers,

Nine-fingered CJ.

IVE GREAT VIDEO OF MY BUDDY GETTING BIT (BY SUPRISE) OF OUR BIG GREEN FRIEND AT STINGRAY ALLEY IN OCTOBER FOR CAYMAN MADNESS. SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE. OR MAYBE HE WAS JUST HUNGRY. LETS HEAR IT FOR FERGIE.

Nine-fingered CJ has a good point. Can you also mention what the circumstances were that provoked a bite from your favorite critter? I too am guessing most bites occur when the animal is either molested somehow or is in the midst of a food frenzy. Is this true?

just to clarify....he was feeding the stingrays and you can watch the eel come from his side under his arm...he never even knew it was there prior to its biting him. I agree. It was just trying to feed.

I was a DM on Andros back in the early 80s. One of the other DMs had been bitten by a moray a year or so before. He was bitten on the forearm while feeding the eel, a stupid accident, he admitted it was his own fault. When I met him, like I said, a year or so later, he was just starting to regain use of his hand after multiple operations.

A moray is nothing you want to mess with. We're talking flexible barracuda. Play at your own risk.

WW

when I was in the bahamas we went to see the lizards on one of the cays out there and one bit the DM on his toe. of course the guy was getting the lizards to climb on him by feeding them over his body

Been bit by a bunch of stuff - mostly becase I was being a moron and overly curious. had a Hagool take a peice of me once after I shot it - he was a little grumpy... but tasted Damn Good!

Did get a handfull of a Crown-of-thorns on year in the RedSea. that was trip! Pretty potent toxin in those lil'bastards....

Willer

The thing I get from all this is that if you feed you increase the risk of getting bit.

I have always wondered why divers feel have the need to feed fish. I have only been bitten once and that was by a pearch on my ear. I feel that it was due to conditioning of the local fish by feeding.

If you go to a park you'll see signs not to feed animals. Most people wouldn't go to Yellowstone and feed bears so why do divers seem to feel they should feed fish then complain about being bit? I can't count how many TV shows I've seen with divers on a shark dive that have been bit during feeding. They build the show up about how dangerous it is to feed and get them worked up then show some guy getting a minor bite on the hand, leg or arm and then no one seems to be concerned. When it happens to a diver they make it out to be "just one of those things" or make the person out to be "daring and brave". When you see or hear of someone going to a park and getting attacked when feeding an animal they always seem to reperesent them as stupid or careless.

I not a peta freek or animal rights activest and don't want to apear unsympthetic to people bitten or hurt but I think if you get bit you derserve it. I think as divers we discuse how to safely dive but when it comes to feeding we kick safty to the side as a non issue.



Geek