Bitten by a moray eel?
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AbyssalPlains
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Yes, they are evil, just like any other predatory animal.
Ever thought about the fact that the concept of evil exists only in the human mind? Not only that, there is in fact only and exactly one animal species in the world that deserves the attribute "evil."
You know which species I'm talking about. We need to keep this in mind.
jd950
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How do you know this to be true?
dumpsterDiver
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In Florida, my experience is that large green morays have a mellow personality. If they have not been fed (which completely alters their behaviour), they will not mess with you unless considerably provoked.
The much smaller spotted morays are very hyper and they will agressively protect their hole, A simple violation of their "personal space" will almost surely result in a bite. They will actively and agressively defend their home.
I've never know anyone who has been bitten by a green moray, but other people have. Their bite is obviously terribly strong. The spotted morays are much smaller eels and have much smaller mouths and teeth, but even with steel mesh gloves (which completely protects against puncture wounds) a bite can result in considerable bruising of the hand. Sometimes I wish that I owned steel gloves.
I was bit once pretty hard and I literally heard the "crunch" as he came down over the top of my hand and the teeth completely penetrated a thick leather lobster diving glove. The pain was enough to make me decide that the dive was over and there was enough blood, oozing from the holes in my glove, to give me good reason to leave the glove in place until I reached the boat.
I know of more than one person who has suffered tendon damage that required surgery to fix from the bite of a similarly small spotted eel.
If you keep your eyes open and your hands out of dark holes, the chances of getting bit are pretty low.
The much smaller spotted morays are very hyper and they will agressively protect their hole, A simple violation of their "personal space" will almost surely result in a bite. They will actively and agressively defend their home.
I've never know anyone who has been bitten by a green moray, but other people have. Their bite is obviously terribly strong. The spotted morays are much smaller eels and have much smaller mouths and teeth, but even with steel mesh gloves (which completely protects against puncture wounds) a bite can result in considerable bruising of the hand. Sometimes I wish that I owned steel gloves.
I was bit once pretty hard and I literally heard the "crunch" as he came down over the top of my hand and the teeth completely penetrated a thick leather lobster diving glove. The pain was enough to make me decide that the dive was over and there was enough blood, oozing from the holes in my glove, to give me good reason to leave the glove in place until I reached the boat.
I know of more than one person who has suffered tendon damage that required surgery to fix from the bite of a similarly small spotted eel.
If you keep your eyes open and your hands out of dark holes, the chances of getting bit are pretty low.
ianr33
Contributor
At least 3 people have been bitten by Morays at Stingray City in Cayman. 2 are mentioned in this article Cayman Net News: DoE says eel feeding should stop after latest attack
and I also saw one of Ocean frontiers Divemasters with a heavily bandaged leg that he said was from a Moray bite.
Feeding fish with Morays around seems to be a Darwinian thing to me
and I also saw one of Ocean frontiers Divemasters with a heavily bandaged leg that he said was from a Moray bite.
Feeding fish with Morays around seems to be a Darwinian thing to me
I used to feed The big Greens twice a week down in St. Croix along with the spotteds that would show up never had any problems with them, I fed alot of the "wild/random" ones that I would run across in the Bahmas, never a problem. I did see a couple of people get bit while reaching for bugs though.
Now would you go walking thru the woods sticking your hand in holes in the ground?????
Now would you go walking thru the woods sticking your hand in holes in the ground?????
AbyssalPlains
Contributor
Because the natural world is neither evil nor good, it just is. Of course I can't know this for sure, but from all we know, it seems sufficiently likely that humans are the only species that have developed concepts such as religion, morale and so forth. To apply those concepts to animals means to anthropomorphize and misjudge animal behavior.
Sonofasailor
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msg
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Mama always said, "stupid is as stupid does"
Grounded
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I watched someone get attacked by a green moray in south florida. It is, to date, the most frightening thing I have seen while diving. Ironically, this happened the weekend after crocodile hunter was killed.
As if from nowhere, the eel swam towards the guy, who was standing in an open, sandy area. The eel caught him on his wrist and latched on like a pitbull. It started shaking it's head from side to side. this went on for a good minute before he ripped the eel, by the tail, off his wrist.
Next thing I knew, there was an enormous green cloud in the water (after I got on the boat, I realized that the way light is absorbed underwater created this illusion). He bolted to the surface (thank god he didn't get bent). Luckily, we were tied to a wreck, and didn't have to signal the boat to pick us up.
The BSO escorted us back and had an ambulance waiting near the coast guard station at the hillsborough inlet.
I felt pretty helpless and useless as a buddy watching this happen. There's not much you can do to help someone else out when this happens.
I ran into the same guy on a boat a couple of months ago. He said he he had three surgeries to repair the ligament damage. He showed me the scars. It was pretty bad.
As if from nowhere, the eel swam towards the guy, who was standing in an open, sandy area. The eel caught him on his wrist and latched on like a pitbull. It started shaking it's head from side to side. this went on for a good minute before he ripped the eel, by the tail, off his wrist.
Next thing I knew, there was an enormous green cloud in the water (after I got on the boat, I realized that the way light is absorbed underwater created this illusion). He bolted to the surface (thank god he didn't get bent). Luckily, we were tied to a wreck, and didn't have to signal the boat to pick us up.
The BSO escorted us back and had an ambulance waiting near the coast guard station at the hillsborough inlet.
I felt pretty helpless and useless as a buddy watching this happen. There's not much you can do to help someone else out when this happens.
I ran into the same guy on a boat a couple of months ago. He said he he had three surgeries to repair the ligament damage. He showed me the scars. It was pretty bad.
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