Dumbest Thing You Have Done...

[DiverBuoy]

NetDoc, great story. Speaking of "bright" moments.

My dive buddy during yesterday morning's dive was attempting to feed an octopus we found in a den dug directly into the sandy bottom, sporting an entrance lined with rocks. She took her hand out of her glove to arrange a morsel into a more strategic location. Her bright white hand suddenly wiggling at the end of all that black neoprene ... and out of nowhere this orange flash and a loud popping sound ... followed by bubbles everywhere.

Turns out one of the garibaldi (among the dozens she had attracted) struck the back of her hand just over one of the bones so hard I heard it under water. She retracted her hand quickly and started writhing in discomfort. I moved over to see if I could help and inspect the damage. She cautiously exposed the aftermath - a sun ray pattern of tiny lacerations with just about the diameter of the fishes mouth and already turning sanguine.

That'll teach her!

Her consolation came when we returned to the lair. Her hand (still exposed) was treated to a friendly greeting from our little den dweller. Two medium sized tentacles cautiously scrolled out of the hole and became firmly fixed on her skin, shrinking and expanding visibly these little miracles of manipulation attempted to wrestle her whole hand back as a prize. My buddy apparently giddy now with delight worked the morsel out from under her palm and the cephalopod happily retreated with it's catch.

 

[Fetch]

I'm not too sure I'd play with octopi... As was related to me in a Jr. High-level marine biology class, at least (in Corpus), if they do decide to bite (its rare) it can actually be fatally poisonous.

I'm sure your buddy knew what she was doing... but its fair to point it out to others

jeff

DiverBuoy once bubbled...

My dive buddy during yesterday morning's dive was attempting to feed an octopus we found in a den dug directly into the sandy bottom, sporting an entrance lined with rocks. She took her hand out of her glove to arrange a morsel into a more strategic location. Her bright white hand suddenly wiggling at the end of all that black neoprene ... and out of nowhere this orange flash and a loud popping sound ... followed by bubbles everywhere.

 

[Laurence Stein DDS]

Fetch,

If I'm not mistaken, the Blue Ring Octopus is the only species that has a deadly toxin.

Octopi have beaks and poison sacs and can inflict a painful bite.

Here is a little information on the Blue Ring species:

Blue Ringed Octopus

Species
Hapalochlaena lunulata and Hapalochlaena maculosa.Blue Ring Octopus

Description

It starts life the size of a pea and is fully grown at about the size of a golf ball - but carries enough poison to kill 26 adults within minutes.

Although the painless bite can kill an adult, injuries have only occurred when an octopus has been picked out of its pool and provoked or stepped on.

The bite might be painless, but this octopus injects a neuromuscular paralysing venom. The venom contains some maculotoxin, a poison more violent than any found on land animals. The nerve conduction is blocked and neuromuscular paralysis is followed by death. The victim might be saved if artificial respiration starts before marked cyanosis and hypotension develops. With a beak that can penetrate a wet-suit, they are one little cute creature to definitely look at BUT Don't touch. The blue-ringed octopus is the size of a golf ball but its poison is powerful enough to kill an adult human in minutes. There's no known antidote. The only treatment is hours of heart massage and artificial respiration until the poison has worked its way out of your system.

First you will feel nauseous. Your vision becomes hazy. Within seconds you are blind. You loose your sense of touch. You cannot speak or swallow. Three to ten minutes later you are paralyzed and unable to breath.

The poison is not injected but is contained in the octopus's saliva, which comes from two glands each as big as its brain. Poison from the one is used on its main prey, crabs, and is harmless to humans. Poison from the other gland serves as defense against predators. The blue-ringed octopus either secretes the poison in the vicinity of its prey, waits until it is immobile and then eats it, or jumps out and envelops the prey in its 8 tentacles and bites it.

There are two species of blue-ringed octopus: the Hapalochlaena lunulata, which is the larger and grows up to 20cm (8 in) across its stretched tentacles. The other, the Hapalochlaena maculosa, is small and more common, weighing a just 28 grams (1 oz). They can be found in the coastal waters and tide pools around Australia. Don't ever pick one up - by the time you see the electric-blue rings, it's will be too late.

Camouflage: The Blue Ring Octopus is not an aggressive animal and when disturbed it flattens out its body to hide and changes its body colour to blend into its surroundings.


Warning signals: While resting, the Blue Ring Octopus is quite pale in colour. The infamous blue rings on its body only ‘light up’ as a warning when the animal feels threatened. At this stage the octopus is likely to bite.

Body: They are soft-bodied animals, with a sack-like body and eight arms covered with suckers.


Reproduction: The female lays approximately 50 eggs in late Autumn. She carries her eggs around under her arms. Once the eggs have hatched after 3 - 6 months, the female dies. The young octopus develop rapidly, mature and mate early the following Autumn. The males then die and the female broods the eggs.

First Aid

First aid for blue-ringed octopus bites
The venom contains tetrodotoxin, which blocks sodium channels and causes motor paralysis and occasionally respiratory failure. Though with fixed dilated pupils, the senses of the patients are often intact. The victims are aware but unable to respond.
Pressure-immobilization is a recommended first aid. Prolonged artificial respiration may also be required. May require supportive treatment including mechanical ventilation until the effects of the toxin disappear. There is no antivenin available in Australia.

http://www.barrierreefaustralia.com/the-great-barrier-reef/blueringedoctopus.htm

Click the site to see the photo.

Larry Stein

 

[sea nmf]

The most RECENT stupid thing: After a shore dive in Bonaire, I drop the bottom of the tank on my hand as I'm loading it into the truck. It crushes the ring I have on (that is the really stupid thing - wearing jewelry while diving - never again). The ring crushes my finger and has to be cut off. Big, big owy.

 

[scuba_katt]

I was overjoyed to receive a new dive knife for Christmas last week. In fact I was so excited, in my angst to get it out of its case, I nearly sliced my thumb off with the serrated blade!!!


;-0 Oouchchchch!

 

[caymaniac]

Let's see, once I made a dive at Grand Cayman down to 110 ft. , I struggled to get down when I finally noticed I forgot my weight belt.
Once at the Brac, my dive buddy had one of those dispoible cameras in his BC pocket, we went down to 90ft., I think it said on the camera only good to around 30 ft., well anyway, on the ascent the camera decided t********** (':boom:')
explode into a thousand pieces
we sure had a good laugh about that.
My biggest mistake was diving off my own boat a few years back and forgetting to turn on my air!!********** (':bonk:')
Dive Safe,
Caymaniac

 

[Duncan Price]

A number of times I've stripped down my dive lights to see why they weren't working to realize that I should have removed my sunglasses first.

Duncan

 

[Funnyman126]

I was on a dive / snorkel boat in the keys 5 yrs ago. The weather was clear warm but WINDY. There was about 15 high school kids onboard snorkeling for a class trip. Maybe another 10 divers.
I have done enough boating and diving to recognize the look of a puke fest before it happens. We pulled up on the first spot and all was well. Every one got in the water and was fine. The problem started on the short slow trip to the second dive spot. I told my buddy as soon as we pulled anchor at spot one to get his gear and get in the water as soon as the dive master opened the gate. I was on the dive master speeding him up (He was happy for the help he knew what he was dealing with), handing my buddy his fins etc.

So we executed and are in the water up wind at a safe distance watching no less than 3 people at a time chumming the water. Getting a pretty good laugh. No, A really good laugh. Don’t worry I paid.

I get done laughing it up and I deflate my BC to realize my weight belt is waiting for me on the other side of a vomit mine field sitting on the deck of the boat.

I bought an integrated weight system in the off-season that year……

 

[Beezle]

1983, when I was getting my OW cert at Catalina island, our DM had us descend to about 40' and kneel in a circle on the sandy bottom. When I was sitting down there waiting for everyone to get settled, I raised up my arm to check my watch and adjust my gloves when WHOOOOSH! The emergency C02 cartridge pull had got caught on my watchband and activated... filling my BC FULL of air in seconds... let me tell you all how quickly I deflated my lungs as I shot to the surface!!

All in all, it was a nice Seatec Manta BC and I still used it for about 10 years... minus the CO2 cartridge. Funny, when I bought a new one, they didn't have that option anymore!

 

[dcostanza]

Dumbest thing....

Driving and hour and a half to the dive site, suiting up and realizing my "p-valve" was left at home. I normally check and double check all my gear before any dive so I don't know how I missed it. We're not talking the "nut and bolt" P-valve where I could've gone to a Home Depot and rig something up but the Si-tech valve. Worst yet, having a good dive buddy, who was tired (and probably would've preferred to stay home and relax) agree to dive with me, drive an hour from his home to meet me there, knowing (from the night before) that the diving was going to be really cold. He was all suited up ready to go when I had to break the news. I felt really bad that I put him through that. (I still owe you one, B.O.)

At that point I was very seriously considering duct tape. Had it not of been for the wisdom of my dive buddy I probably would have. I suppose in retrospect that had I of done that, this would have had a different ending as I would be writing about how I left the "p-valve" at home and had the wonderful idea to emulate "Tim the Tool Man Taylor" and to duct tape the gapping hole...and then flooded my suit with 37 degree water.

Yep! that is the dumbest so far... Hopefully that will be the only entry I will be making to this thread...

Best Regards
Don