Do Not Touch

[KrisB]

FishBoy KrisB thats exactly my point
Touch and bear the SPECIFIC consequences,
Touch and find out yourself the hard way with a lion or moray.

But the only way is to educate people, So FishBoy
Any fish you should not touch beacuse indeed the fish will be harmed?

Bas, you're missing the point.

If it's worth touching something that could kill you, then re-examine your thought process. Some of the most inoccuous appearing creatures carry the strongest punch (e.g. shells, especially textile cones)... WHY BOTHER TOUCHING ANYTHING?!?!?

 

[desiredbard]

The point is: if an experience DM shows you...... it should be safe not?
Disappointed that experienced divers here rather see a newby make mistakes ...towards the fish or him/herself than give a direct answer to a at least 10 times repeated question

 

[Matsya]

OK Desiredbard,

Straight answer to a straight question

A list of fishes that will be harmed if you touch them:

Short list:

ALL

 

[desiredbard]

Nice try.....not helpful at all if you would have read any of the posts
That does not help if a DM shows you....
What why and how might make divers see....
Hey but look at the bright side
maybe I'll find out AFTER the next mistake .... and other new divers with me.

(and hence my avatar)


BTW from a PM I received, I'll keep the user anonymous:

please be aware that conus geographus is far more deadly than a textile cone, in fact no cone shells should be picked up ever!particularly large ones with wide apertures. the wider the aperture the bigger the fish that can be eaten and the bigger the fish, more poison is needed to kill it.

Now I've learned something..... cause honoustly I would have tought...nice shell


Oh and KrisB you misunderstand me:

If it's worth touching something that could kill you, then re-examine your thought process.

Its fairer.
Everybody can kill an ant..... try a bull.... and after tieing up its testicles the bull has the right I think.
If you harrass a another person there is a chance you might get slapped by the victim or his/her bf, or worse

Thats why most people get more annoyed with a seet granny that gets murdered than a big bullying *******.
And in the same line mostly everybody interact with a granny.... but a big bloke full of scars and tatoos......?


Thats why this post....

Now these cones... i could have been painfully mistaken there ....... If the puffer in the avatar would have gone for my nose.... fair play to it (better if it would have gone for the DM that made it puff)

(Yes some grannies carry a stungun but heyif you have to find that out you deserved it)

 

[Wayward Son]

Some grannies carry a Glock, LOL.

 

[erparamedic]

Yup... if you have to find out... you deserve it. Give up, Desiredbard. After 7 pages now, you still have no answers (that you WANT to hear)... hint, hint, HINT! And, we don't want to see any newbys (or anyone else) get hurt...

Again... the simple answer is...

drum roll, please....

LOUDER DRUM ROLL NOW...

DON'T TOUCH!!

It's simple, no touch, no injury to you or the fishies. Common sense says this has been replied to you multiple times by the other posters.

 

[Christi]

OK...Bard, sorry, but your question has been asked and answered at least 10 times. You accuse certain people of having a "better than thou" attitude...sorry buddy, you are off base there. You asked for opinions, and people are giving them and I didn't see anyone, except possibly you that has a defensive and controlling attitude in this thread.

To say that 99% or 98% touch is completely arbitrary and you have absolutely no factual basis for that figure. In fact, like many others here have stated, the number of divers who intentionally touch would be more in the 1% to 2% range. I say this based on my 2000 +/- logged dives. I can literally name on less than one hand all of the divers I have witnessed intentionally touching the marine life in those 2000 dives.

I can appreciate and respect the fact that you want to and are trying to learn...but your approach and attitude towards some of the posters here is offensive to put it mildly. Do you realize HOW MANY species of marine life there are???? It would literally take PAGES and pages and HOURS upon hours from an expert to list them all. So to ask people here on SB to make a list of the harmful creatures or those that could cause harm is simply unrealistic. Furthermore, for you to DEMAND it of the members here (who IMO have been MORE than helpful to you in this thread) is just plain rude. No one here has any obligation to be your marine biology teacher. If they want to help and provide their input, fine...but don't harass them and shoot daggers at them because they are not providing the answers YOU want to hear.

I would suggest you go to your local library or bookstore and pick up some books on the subject...and even then, you most likely won't be able to copile an exhaustive list of what you are looking for.

Whether you are in a Marine park or not, don't touch anything intentioanlly ...that's your answer.

Of course everyone may have an accident and run into, be pushed into, or brush up against something. But if it's an accident, you can't control what it is you are running into, brushing up against...etc. If you had control over it, it wouldn't be an accident right?

Don't ride the turtles, don't pet the sharks, don't catch the boxfish, don't puff up the puffers, don't play with the eel, don't let a seahorse "jump" onto your finger and swim around with it, etc. etc. etc.

The only exception I can think of to any of this would be in specific programs that are organized by people who know what they are doing...for example, the organized shark feed dives and manta ray dives. Even then there are rules to follow. I know this is also a very debatable subject...but I used it as an example. This is NOT the same thing as going on a dive and having the DM "play" with the marne life. Just because a DM does it...does not make it right, safe, or anything else.

So in summary...DON'T TOUCH intentionally and be as careful as you can to avoid accidents that may harm you or the marine life.

 

[desiredbard]

Everyone here seems to think that I promote touching or handling fish, which I dont
I just mean that some fish are more defenceless then others.
And people do not realise what the cause appart from hurt to themselves.

I know to stay clear of green coral and anemone's, but if noone would have told me about the consequence for the puffer I would have acted simmilar the next time someone would have handed me one)

Now I agree that not touching as general unbroken rule is the best....

But would knowing the actual consequence including horible painfull details species specific not be more of a deterent? Because:

If I would have known the consequence that might occur to this puffer b4hand, I would not even have taken a shot of the fish and told the DM off.
(What I still do not know does a puffer only puffed when handled or also when threatened, how close can I get with a camera before I scare the bejesus out of it, cause in future I want to avoid one puffing due to my presence )

I mean a lot people break trafficklight unless you have a clear mental picture of the consequences of doing so, fines and the explanation that it can be / is lethal does not always deter. The (mental) picture of a wreckage and corpse does.
(and I would not feel as sorry for the one breaking the light as the other party.... so if you get bitten stung etc.... your fault, live (or dont) with it..... but realising that you actually (mighthave)killed something innocent ...thats something you also have to live with.

Maybe a photoalbum of the consequences of divers handling fish..... in the same type they use on cigarette cartons to stop you smoking?

 

[Zorrr2]

I have seen a THORN that you and Christi above have stated that may be part of your underlying problem to understanding the answers I and many others have given you . . .
You stated on more than one occasion . .

"That does not help if a DM shows you...."

In the first place . . the DM should not be TOUCHING anything . . PERIOD !! And HE KNOWS BETTER . . and if there is anyone who should be setting an example . . its the DM . . so if this bad apple is showing this to others for what ever reason . . then his ears should be BOXED !!!

I know . . I have seen . . DM's touching things in the past as well . . and I had up close and personal WORDS immediately after !!

So drop this concept and accept that (this one poor example of a DM) is NOT THE NORM !! Probably just him SHOWING OFF . . or trying . . . to impress someone !!

If you want to IMPRESS someone . . . dazzle them with your BOUENCY CONTROL . . . show others that just finding the hard to find is exciting . . but above all . .

DON"T TOUCH . . . . ANYTHING !!! PERIOD !!

 

[Christi]

Everyone here seems to think that I promote touching or handling fish, which I dont
I just mean that some fish are more defenceless then others.
And people do not realise what the cause appart from hurt to themselves.

Now I agree that not touching as general unbroken rule is the best....

But would knowing the actual consequence including horible painfull details species specific not be more of a deterent? Because:

If I would have known the consequence that might occur to this puffer b4hand, I would not even have taken a shot of the fish and told the DM off.
(What I still do not know does a puffer only puffed when handled or also when threatened, how close can I get with a camera before I scare the bejesus out of it, cause in future I want to avoid one puffing due to my presence )

I mean a lot people break trafficklight unless you have a clear mental picture of the consequences of doing so, fines and the explanation that it can be / is lethal does not always deter. The (mental) picture of a wreckage and corpse does.
(and I would not feel as sorry for the one breaking the light as the other party.... so if you get bitten stung etc.... your fault, live (or dont) with it..... but realising that you actually (mighthave)killed something innocent ...thats something you also have to live with.

The consequences are that you could lose a finger, an arm, be paralyzed from the venom, get a nasty infection, or even DIE if you touch something you're not supposed to.

The same could happen to the fish and coral...they can get infections, become ill, or even die.

This has been repeated over and over again...what part do you not understand?

Don't touch and you don't have to worry about it!

Agian, just because a DM does it doesn't mean it's ok...and he/she should know better...period!