I can't help but wonder if divers are still feeding Emma.
www.divers-guide.com/en/news/1598-diver-loses-thumb-moray-eel
www.divers-guide.com/en/news/1598-diver-loses-thumb-moray-eel
Another bite against feeding
- Thread starter chillyinCanada
- Start date
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drrich2
Contributor
My main concern with feeding moray eels is the possibility that 'trained' eels may accost 'regular' dives who have no knowledge or involvement in the activity. I've read postings about green morays swimming out to divers. Not only is there a concern about what the eel might do, but how the humans may react and exacerbate the situation.
Put another way, imagine a diver with a phobia of snakes swimming along unawares, and suddenly what looks like a big green boa constrictor big around as his/her leg with spike-like teeth is in his/her personal space.
That's a theoretical concern; my question is, has it been shown to be a real world problem?
While this is a bit of a tangent from concern for feeders themselves, it's related.
Richard.
Put another way, imagine a diver with a phobia of snakes swimming along unawares, and suddenly what looks like a big green boa constrictor big around as his/her leg with spike-like teeth is in his/her personal space.
That's a theoretical concern; my question is, has it been shown to be a real world problem?
While this is a bit of a tangent from concern for feeders themselves, it's related.
Richard.
OP
In my opinion, it's a real world problem!
A dive guide buddy of mine, had a moray come after him as he swam back to the boat. It then bit him more than once in the shoulder and upper arm, which somehow or other, the surgeons managed to save. He has some gnarly scars and an impressive story, depending on how you look at these things.
I've seen lots aggressive morays due to them having been fed lionfish in hopes that the morays would develop a taste on their own.
Most of us know how that worked out.
A dive guide buddy of mine, had a moray come after him as he swam back to the boat. It then bit him more than once in the shoulder and upper arm, which somehow or other, the surgeons managed to save. He has some gnarly scars and an impressive story, depending on how you look at these things.
I've seen lots aggressive morays due to them having been fed lionfish in hopes that the morays would develop a taste on their own.
Most of us know how that worked out.
My buddy had his thumb rearranged by a normally diver fed morey when he didn't have any food to offer.
Might be a correlation.
Cameron
Might be a correlation.
Cameron
CWK
Contributor
When I dived Bora Bora many years ago, the DMs were adament that I should give morays a wide berth. I was told that there had been an accident in which a moray entrenched in a hole had bitten a diver's hand and pulled the hand into the hole. Since moray's have backward facing teeth, there was no way for the diver to retrieve her hand without leaving a large chunk of it behind. I was told that the diver lost half her hand. I believe that prior to that incident, divers had been feeding morays in Bora Bora.
OP
Keep your hands tucked under your armpits.
Ouch. I don't feed wild animals. I've all but stopped lobstering because the last two moray attacks happened when the diver put their hand down the hole trying to get their bug.
Never got that unlucky...urchins on the other hand...ouch
Street or aquatic?
My Mexican fisherman friend will not and will not let me try to get my hand underneath a lobster for this reason.
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