Attacked by ???

[ozziworld]

I have been diving for around twenty years and personally cannot say I have been 'attacked' by any marine animal. Today, my daughter was diving with me in Anilao in the Philippines and she was attacked by a Titan Trigger Fish. She was attacked also by Titan Triggerfish last year after she was newly certified.

Am curious about what other marine life actually ''attack" divers. What marine animal has actually attacked you with intent to do damage. I mean unprovoked without chum in the water.

I do not count jellyfish stings or other accidental encounters. Just interested in deliberate attacks to do harm to a diver.

I believe the Tita Trigger Fish we encounter frequently, attack because of nests they are protecting in the area.

Please post any experiences that may be of interest in this topic.

[Zippsy]

I get attacked all the time by damsel fish (who cares?), clown fish (who cares?) and titan trigger fish (I care!!!). I've been attacked three times, only once when I was confirmed to be near a nest. Another time I am certain no nest was nearby and the last time we were a good 40 meters away from the nest and watching a pair chase away any fish within 10 meters when one of them came for us. Titans are the only things I fear underwater and they are the reason those things we wear are called "wet" suits.

[H2Andy]

trigger fish are known to be territorial

it's best to stay away from them

damselfish are also territorial ... the only fish that have ever bitten me

[Deefstes]

From what I understand Titan Triggerfish (and other Triggerfish) protect their nest in a conical zone upwards from the nest. In other words, when you get a frisky Triggerfish it is best to swim away and down (not up). That is the quickest way to get out of the conical zone.

[Zippsy]

I've heard that cone theory before and it always cracks me up. Not only does it not make any sense but no one ever told the trigger fish how it is supposed to work. I have observed them very often (too often!) not obeying that particular law or nature. It's funny how the theory spreads but I have heard our own DMs telling customers this "old dives tale".

[smellzlikefish]

I was bitten on the finger by a titan in a fish tank. Hurt like a $%^&. But I was in its environment and blah blah blah.

I did watch my buddy ALMOST get attacked by a cookie cutter shark. By almost, I mean the shark bee-lined out of the blackness of the pelagic night dive and stopped literally a foot away from his turned back. My buddy had no idea until he watched the thing cruise right by his arm. With no way to alert him, I looked at his mom who was diving with us, but she had her camera poised and ready.

[ozziworld]

Hmm, this is interesting. So far only damsel and trigger fish stories. Where are the sharks, rays, morays, octopus etc.? I thought I would get more responses to this thread but I guess uprovoked attack kinda excludes most attacks.

Anyway, I would be glad to see more stories that would enlighten us on the aggressive animals in the ocean environment.

Thanks for sharing.

[BobbyT22]

Pumpkinseed sunfish..about 4 inches long. Went after the eyelashes on my right eye while I was doing some valve drills with my mask off for practice. Left a mark too. I laughed so hard I almost had to surface.

[toefa]

My wife was attacked by a territorial Giant Cuttle fish. Didn't do ant damage though, she managed to uppercut it in the end and it fled. It just kept going for her face and freaked her out.

This was the exact one moments after she got away:

YouTube - Scuba Diving Shellharbour Sun 10 May 2009

[Deefstes]

I've heard that cone theory before and it always cracks me up. Not only does it not make any sense but no one ever told the trigger fish how it is supposed to work. I have observed them very often (too often!) not obeying that particular law or nature. It's funny how the theory spreads but I have heard our own DMs telling customers this "old dives tale".

I won't vouch for the theory but I don't understand your comments.
"Not only does it not make sense" - why not? Seems perfectly logical to me. Whether or not it's true I don't know but there's nothing nonsensical about it as far as I can tell.

"no one ever told the trigger fish how it is supposed to work" - talk about being nonsensical. This is like saying, no one ever told Clownfish to associate with certain anemones. Of course no one ever told them that but the fact that they do it can't be denied. If certain behaviour is observed in animals, it doesn't become false just because no one ever told the animals to behave that way - even if they sometimes act contrary to the generally accepted pattern. That would be nonsensical.

Like I said, I have no idea what the veracity of this theory is but I have heard it and read about it very often (too often). If it is an "old dives tale" it must be a spectacular myth as it certainly is widely believed.