Scary experiences with aquatic life

[k ellis]

When I did my open water certification I had an experience that pretty much well scared the tar out of me. I recalled surfacing and noticing what looked like a small tree branch nearby. As I looked it disappeared so I thought that was strange until I felt a funny sensation on my right leg. When I looked under I saw a water moccason (Bad spelling I know) Swim right between my legs.

This made me wonder about how many other people had potentially dangerous scenariios like this in their diving career.

 

[vladimir]

I have had a lot of sea snakes swim through my legs or around my body, mostly in Australia and the Coral Sea. Although highly venomous, they are unlikely to bite, they tend to conserve their venom, and they probably can't pierce my 3 mm wetsuit, so it never concerned me. All of which might not apply to water moccasins--I don't know.

 

[swifttank]

Hope you never here the bass drum sounding hit of a goliath grouper. We dove with a school of about 20 of them. They can be some mean bastards too. There were about 20 of them ranging from 300-700 pounds. The big one looked like a volkswagon bug swimming through the water.

 

[Cajuncru Diver]

Not good thing to be doing, but come dive with us in Indian Creek Lake. We don't have that problem, because the alligators eat them.

 

[crab lover]

A couple of months ago, buddy and I were doing a night shore dive and when we were just entering the tidepool where we could get out of our fins and walk out, needlefish started darting at my head. I moved my divelight as far away from my head as possible, but still had a few nip at my head until I was able to stand and get the light away from them... No, they are not venomous, but I did read where some of the bigger ones can get enough speed and lodge themselves into your skin. I count myself lucky these were the smaller ones!

 

[james croft]

You just have to develop the attitude that you are the most dangerous thing in the water. And actually many new OW divers are.

 

[katdiver]

I was out in the blue on my safety stop when two silkies came in REALLY close and circled me, both going in opposite directions. I guess I might have been worried, but the magic video camera I had in my hands took all the fear away. Just awesome. My buddy had swam across to the rib anchour line some 20m away and was hanging on that. When I got out of the water he said that one of the sharks would drop its pecs and arch its back every time it went behind me, only to straighten out whenever I turned towards it ( I was turning to follow the other). Sounds like the good guy/bad guy routine!

That turned out to be a very long safety stop!

 

[vladimir]

A couple of months ago, buddy and I were doing a night shore dive and when we were just entering the tidepool where we could get out of our fins and walk out, needlefish started darting at my head. I moved my divelight as far away from my head as possible, but still had a few nip at my head until I was able to stand and get the light away from them... No, they are not venomous, but I did read where some of the bigger ones can get enough speed and lodge themselves into your skin. I count myself lucky these were the smaller ones!

From Undercurrent:

Last September, a 16-year-old boy died after being
stabbed through the heart by a needlefish as he was div-
ing for sea cucumber in northern Vietnam’s Halong Bay .
Duong Trong Anh was six feet below the surface when the
three-foot needlefish stuck its bill into his chest then pulled
it out . Anh died shortly after .

 

[Teamcasa]

Diving at Kona during the night Manta dive my wife had a visitor!
53sec video

 

[ScubaSteve]

Oh my god Dave. I thought the visit was the Manta and then BAM!!! That was incredible and I am glad she did not spit out the reg....I might have. That was awesome. I would like to post that film....spectacular.

Diving at Kona during the night Manta dive my wife had a visitor!
53sec video