Is frogfish dangerous?
- Thread starter p0lly
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Mantra
Contributor
Please can i tell you a story?
When we were diving Moalboal there, we were at about 25m deep and were looking at a lovely yellow frog fish who had made his home on a wall (drop off). We each took turns looking at him, and then moved off. Then another group came by.
I hate to say this because I don't like judging people by their race. But this was a Korean group of divers, and one of the divers immediately went up and started touching the fish to try and make him walk. He poked it three times with his finger, the final time so hard that the poor fish was knocked away and fell down the wall a bit behind some rocks. This diver then started to move the rocks out of the way to get to the fish again! The whole time, his group and his dive master were just watching.
I swam over and pushed the diver away. To be honest, I was so angry I almost pulled his mask off. If we had been shallower and it was safer, I would have done this for sure. Back on the boat, none of my group could believe this happened.
I'm saying this to you because it seems like English might be your second language, and your question indicates that you may be from a culture or with a dive shop that allows touching animals.
PLEASE NEVER TOUCH UNDERWATER ANIMALS.
Not because they might hurt you, but because you will hurt them!
Touching an animal will make it scared and stressed. That frog fish I am talking about may have been hurt, and it certainly lost its home.
I don't think you are a bad person for asking this question. I'm much more angry that some dive shops allow this (and I asked the crew back on our boat what shop the Koreans were with so I could complain to that shop and shame them on the Internet, but the crew didn't want to say and pretended they didn't know). What I do think, though, is that you haven't been educated well in your diving training about how dangerous we can be to the beautiful reefs and animals we travel so far to see. There is a big problem with this in the Philippines, from what I saw. Some cultures and dive shops dive very differently.
As a diver, you know how beautiful and precious the underwater world is. We are so lucky to see it! And because you and I are some of the few people who get to visit it, we must treat it with honor and respect, don't you think?
Would you please help protect the ocean by not harming the animals there? And would you also please tell your friends and the people you are diving with to follow your good example? Because maybe they also don't know how harmful this is. If you and people like you with good hearts can spread this message among other divers, it is a very helpful thing.
Thank you, friend! Happy diving!
When we were diving Moalboal there, we were at about 25m deep and were looking at a lovely yellow frog fish who had made his home on a wall (drop off). We each took turns looking at him, and then moved off. Then another group came by.
I hate to say this because I don't like judging people by their race. But this was a Korean group of divers, and one of the divers immediately went up and started touching the fish to try and make him walk. He poked it three times with his finger, the final time so hard that the poor fish was knocked away and fell down the wall a bit behind some rocks. This diver then started to move the rocks out of the way to get to the fish again! The whole time, his group and his dive master were just watching.
I swam over and pushed the diver away. To be honest, I was so angry I almost pulled his mask off. If we had been shallower and it was safer, I would have done this for sure. Back on the boat, none of my group could believe this happened.
I'm saying this to you because it seems like English might be your second language, and your question indicates that you may be from a culture or with a dive shop that allows touching animals.
PLEASE NEVER TOUCH UNDERWATER ANIMALS.
Not because they might hurt you, but because you will hurt them!
Touching an animal will make it scared and stressed. That frog fish I am talking about may have been hurt, and it certainly lost its home.
I don't think you are a bad person for asking this question. I'm much more angry that some dive shops allow this (and I asked the crew back on our boat what shop the Koreans were with so I could complain to that shop and shame them on the Internet, but the crew didn't want to say and pretended they didn't know). What I do think, though, is that you haven't been educated well in your diving training about how dangerous we can be to the beautiful reefs and animals we travel so far to see. There is a big problem with this in the Philippines, from what I saw. Some cultures and dive shops dive very differently.
As a diver, you know how beautiful and precious the underwater world is. We are so lucky to see it! And because you and I are some of the few people who get to visit it, we must treat it with honor and respect, don't you think?
Would you please help protect the ocean by not harming the animals there? And would you also please tell your friends and the people you are diving with to follow your good example? Because maybe they also don't know how harmful this is. If you and people like you with good hearts can spread this message among other divers, it is a very helpful thing.
Thank you, friend! Happy diving!
Long answer: See above 
@Mantra: thanks for the post.
@p0lly: you should not touch anything underwater. That might mean killing the animal you have touched. And, yes, it is also dangerous for you. A lot of creatures are poisonous.
Enjoy your dives
@p0lly: you should not touch anything underwater. That might mean killing the animal you have touched. And, yes, it is also dangerous for you. A lot of creatures are poisonous.
Enjoy your dives
And please don't stand on the coral either, not even to have your picture taken.
mitphys
Registered
All underwater animals are dangerous and deadly. Touching a frogfish WILL absolutely kill you.
Well ok not really, but maybe this is the answer to give But as others have said above, please dont touch anything underwater or continually harass them for photos. Frogfish are rare enough that we shouldn't have any of them die off from our harassment.
Well ok not really, but maybe this is the answer to give
But as others have said above, please dont touch anything underwater or continually harass them for photos. Frogfish are rare enough that we shouldn't have any of them die off from our harassment.
Dr. Lecter
Contributor
Just make sure you don't mistake a scorpion fish for a frog fish. That will be the last time you touch any fish.
Tigerman
Contributor
Or even worse, a stonefish - that may be the last time you touch ANYTHING..
As others have indicated. touching marine life is usually a questionable thing. As a biologist, I know there are some species that are not physically harmed by contact. However, it may elicit a fear response that can mess up their biochemistry. Best advice is not to touch anything underwater (and that includes coral reefs and even some stony ones with encrusting life).
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