What will (& won't) you get in the water with?

[jfe]

Great White, they frighten the daylight out of me.
Jellies, had to abort a few dives cause of the number of them in the water, won't mind never seeing them again on any dive.
I guess now that it's mentioned I would also rather avoid Orcas, not that I'm in any territory closely related to them.

 

[mattia_v]

Orcas. They are smart which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's the deviousness that they seem to possess that freaks me out about them, can't be in the water with a fish that big that I don't trust.

Good thing it's not a fish then ;-)

 

[MasterChief D]

In the places I've lived and dived there are no, to my knowledge, deadly sea creatures. When diving on holiday, I'd avoid getting in the water in places where stingers can get deadly or with animals whose bite (even exploratory or misguided) can be fatal (some shark species or crocs).

 

[Blueringocto_73]

No Great Whites or Tigersharks. No Humboldt or agressive-feeding squid. No large Man-o-war or box jellys/irukanji.

Moreys, Sea-snakes, Rays not a worry.

I might not want to be around large territorial trigger fish.

 

[Captain Swoop]

Not keen on Jellyfish or stingy things in general. Wouldn't like to meet a Tiger or Great White without bars between us.
Reef Sharks and such not a problem.
Saw Hammerheads once or twice but they never came close and, maybe it's just me but they don't seem threatening.

 

[drrich2]

I've never heard of a wild orca killing anybody, but I have heard of them tossing sea lions larger than most of us high into the air, and in a wetsuit I look a little like a big, fat sea lion. Plus it's a wild animal, doesn't have 'morals' as we understand them, and there's no particular reason to think it's got an abstract appreciation for 'sentient rights' or of us as sentient beings. In other words, while it may not be in an orca's nature to harm a human, they are intelligent, apparently can be playful, and if one's in a mischievous mood to 'just screw around' and play with a human, I don't know any compelling reason why it couldn't.

Oh, long as we're considering long shots like giant squid & orcas, I now recall a DAN Alert Diver magazine article on someone diving with a polar bear, and it came after him! It was race for the bottom for awhile! I believe that was a researcher, not a recreational diver, but still... Article - In the Company of Polar Bears - Amos Nachoum. And here's a link to a YouTube video of a giant squid at Toyama Bay with a guy in the water with it.

On the alligator issue; I wouldn't want to be in the immediate vicinity of a large alligator, but if the water were clear, it weren't aggressive, viz. was good and it were stationary, I might go in the water. People dive around them without knowing it; I've dove Alexander Spring in Florida and only saw a distant 3 or 4 footer at the surface, but an old friend of mine who lives in Florida and got there some mornings before the crowd told me he'd seen a 10 footer. With all that vegetation, who knows what's around?

Big crocodiles are another story. I'm not sure what the 'cut off' size is. There's snorkeling with American crocodiles (XTC Dive Center in Xcalak, Mexico offers this - free access Undercurrent article), and I think even diving (Jardines de la Reina article in DAN's Alert Diver - by Stephen Frink).

Richard.

 

[AlexL]

I was above the school bus at Gilboa in October and below us on the bottom, about 10' below, was one monster ass catfish. I kept saying to it, "stay down there, stay down there!", f%$&!

awww, the catfish at gilboa are like big puppies. personally, could watch em for hours sifting around the bottom. once everyone leaves for the evening, they'll come up to the surface if you're tossing fish food out; almost will eat out of your hands.

actually... they might come to the surface if you're tossing food during the day... but i doubt the students in water would appreciate having food thrown at them.

as for me, @#$@ jelly fish. caught one in the face once, and ... no, just no. love swimming with 'cudas, but no thank you if there are spears in the water. 'reef sharks' also are cool to swim with, but i'd be lying if i don't practically jump back on the boat when they start acting 'funny'.

 

[Duglum]

Maybe: Bullsharks.
Not without a cage: Great Whites, Orcas, Crocodiles/Alligators.

I guess most of the other Stuff is fine...

 

[Kharon]

I won't dive with a buddy. They scare me senseless. Also Humboldt Squid. Nah, ain't doin that.

 

[Marie13]

awww, the catfish at gilboa are like big puppies. personally, could watch em for hours sifting around the bottom. once everyone leaves for the evening, they'll come up to the surface if you're tossing fish food out; almost will eat out of your hands.

actually... they might come to the surface if you're tossing food during the day... but i doubt the students in water would appreciate having food thrown at them.

Catfish are fugly SOBs. I do NOT want them eating out of my hand. Have you lost your senses!?