Hazardous Freshwater Marine Life

[nawtical]

I am a certified diver who is used to salt water and now living and diving the great lakes areas. I am wanting some information on freshwater hazardous marine life. As there are thousands of marine hazards in salt water, I am assuming there must be a couple in fresh. If anyone can shed some websites or other references/info etc. I would appreciate it.:doctor:

 

[HookedonSCUBA]

I've grown up in WI and have been swimming/snorkeling our lakes and rivers my whole life. Including lakes Michigan and Superior.

The only critters I know of that you need to worry about are snapping turtles and snakes. But that's only in the rivers or bogs. As far as the great lakes, zebra mussels will cut you up but that's about it. Muskies, found in the great lakes, have been known to nip a swimmer's toe now and then. But I doubt they'd mess with a bubble-blowing diver.

 

[nawtical]

Thanks for the reply. I know there are some salt water critters that can make it into freshwater and can be a hazard. I know that Bull Sharks are know to be found quite far up the Mississippi River along with other. I also heard that Catfish can give quite a cut if you contact there whiskers.

 

[Walter]

Marine life? Unless you are discussing critters who travel into fresh water from the ocean (such as the Bull shark you mentioned), I don't think marine is the correct term.

 

[herman]

nawtical once bubbled...
I also heard that Catfish can give quite a cut if you contact there whiskers.

The whiskers of a catfish are very soft and flexable, no danger at all. The spines on their backs and on their pectorial fins are a different matter. Hurtttttsss like the dickens if you get finned. It's a throbbing pain that last for an hour or so, no fun at all I can tell you. They are no real danger to divers unless you grab the fish. They do bite as well but not bad enough to be a problem and then only of you grab them first.

 

[socaldiver]

I suspect the most dangerous fish to encounter in fresh water is the dreaded Ky Piranha It is known to bite your ears off at the blink of an eye. I also suspect it has a long distance cousin living in the Great Lakes, so beware.

 

[Ontario Diver]

socaldiver once bubbled...
... I also suspect it has a long distance cousin living in the Great Lakes, so beware.

That would be the famed "Tobermory Great White" - for proof ask any new diver doing thier OW up there - They have all heard the stories!

 

[Noodlefish]

I would say that the most hazardous organisms in fresh water are microscopic. I picked up bilharzia (schistosomiasis) in Lake Malawi (a freshwater lake in central / east africa) while diving. I know that schistosomiasis isn't in the States, but presumably you get giardia and other nasties.

Generally, I would have thought that you were more at risk from infection, etc., in freshwater than in sea water - but I may be wrong. Certainly there isn't the abundance of dangerous creatures that, as you so rightly point out, inhabit the marine world...

 

[k4sdi]

You gotta be careful down here! These dang things think that moles are bait!

Mark

 

[TwoBitTxn]

We have them in Texas too.

One reponsibility of a DM is to guard students ears.

They are truely mean.

TwoBit