Hands off the marine creatures. Just a small rant.

Happened to be watching the local dive program "Divers Down" and got just a bit ticked yesterday. The show was focusing on New England wreck diving and did a bit about diving the Pinthis. What pissed me off was the divers (supposedly extremely experienced ones at that) had their hands all over the wreck pulling themselves along. The wreck is covered in invertebrates particularly hydroids and metridium anemones. Time after time the morons were squishing the creatures.

If you can't keep your hands off the marine creatures don't do the dive damn it!

Rant off. Diving all weekend (10/11 to 10/13) in Cape Ann, MA.

DSDO

Alan

Whatever happened to old fashioned buoyancy control? If the divers aren't capable of staying a reasonable distance off a surface such as a wreck, they probably shouldn't be down there. They most certainly shouldn't be hauling themselves around on the wreck, crushing helpless marine life beneath their gloves.

As my basic OW instructor used to say, "Don't molest the wildlife."

Octopi love to play.

If you take off your glove, and play with them, they will curl up in your "warm" hand.

Other than that, I believe hands off is a good rule. Like birds nests, same-same.

Karl_in_Calif have you ever been bitten by a octopus? I am too scared to touch much of any thing. Perhaps it' time to take a marine biology class. They say people fear the unknown, sound like it's time to learn.

Jambi

The small octopi of California are not a problem.

I am not sure I would hug one of the huge Seattle varieties though.

Octopi and squid have a beak, yes. So the big ones could be a problem, true.

The little ones, the size of your hand or smaller, are fun.

The big ones will play too but don't get your hand too far up under the mantle, there's a ton of bacteria exchanged in a bite from an octopus beak.

and Karl, we've dropped octopi and just use octopus singular or plural.

Karl_in_Calif once bubbled...
The small octopi of California are not a problem.

Click to expand...

Thanks

Jambi

I have to agree. Divers should keep touching wrecks to a minimum. It endangers the wreck and I can't believe these divers were so careless as to squish the life attached to it.

cd_in_SeaTac once bubbled...
The big ones will play too but don't get your hand too far up under the mantle, there's a ton of bacteria exchanged in a bite from an octopus beak.

and Karl, we've dropped octopi and just use octopus singular or plural.

Click to expand...

If you get your hand up under her mantle, she will slap you! As for the plural, is it then "Octopusses" or "Octopussies"? Just interested in the proper form, don't you know!

Octopuses and octopi are both legitimate terms. As a marine biologist friend explained it, octopuses refers to multiple animals of the same species (i.e. red octopuses or giant pacific octopuses). Octopi refers to multiple animals of different species. Take it FWIW ...

Back to the original topic ... there's appropriate and inappropriate ways to interact with marine critters. As several have mentioned, handling an octopus can be fun if you know when to and when not to. They're pretty intelligent critters, and will let you know when it's time to leave them alone (they start changing colors ... and white is their "leave me alone" color). I recently had an encounter with a GPO in Barkley Sound where we had a mid-size octopus (perhaps 4-5 foot tip-to-tip) stretched out like a trampoline. The animal stayed a nice healthy reddish color throughout the encounter, and kept reaching out as more divers (there were six of us present) took off their gloves and offered a hand for a "taste". At one point it had all eight tentacles off the ground and wrapped around a diver's arm. Not once did it change color or try to escape ... it seemed to be enjoying the interaction. Most times, however, octopus will not be so accommodating. If they try to flee, or start turning into living kaleidoscopes, leave 'em alone ... you're just stressing 'em out.

Other critters that are fun to interact with are wolf eels and harbor seals. In both cases you'll need to keep your fingers out of reach of their mouth, as they can give you a nasty bite ... even if they're not intending to harm you. Many wolf eels have the personality of your average golden retriever ... and act accordingly. If you have an urchin handy they'll be your best friend. I had one actually wrap it's body around my leg and stare at me waiting for something to eat. A dive buddy once had a curious harbor seal put it's flippers on either side of her head and stare into her mask. She said she was a bit nervous, but the seal seemed more playful than threatening, and afterward she thought it was a really cool experience.

But I agree that divers should not touch surfaces covered in anemones or other sessile marine life as it damages or kills it.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)