how painful is a torpedo ray shock?

[drbill]

My understanding, at least with the Pacific torpedo ray, is that they can deliver different types of shocks... warnings and "kill" shots (to the fish at least). When I was working with Jean-Michel Cousteau on a documentary for TBS back in 1985, one of the divers from Alcyone knowingly touched a torpedo ray and received a jolt. He was kept out of the water for a day, but just as a precaution. He seemed to laugh it off.

Just saw that Phil (MaxBottomTime) posted above about this incident.

Different species use different voltages and duration so one cannot project from experiences with a single species.

 

[TONY CHANEY]

I would like to see the video.

 

[drbill]

I would like to see the video.

If you are referring to the Cousteau episode, it was part of Cousteau's Rediscovery of the World for Turner Broadcasting and was titled "Channel Islands: At The Edge of a Human Tide" or something like that.

 

[ccx2]

We have then here in New England. One hangs out at very popular dive site in Jamestown RI. I've read reports of these shocking creatures as far north as Cape Ann, MA. Never been zapped.

Fort Weatheral ?

 

[Vegan Shark]

Torpedo rays in areas that see a lot of divers are probably used to our presence enough to not go around shocking people for no good reason. If you try to touch them, and they feel threatened, that's another story. At Catalina I had my face right next to one, because I didn't see him lying there, and he paid me no attention.

 

[fnfalman]

I got shocked by a small one a few years back at Cstalina Island Casino Point. It wasn't painful but caught me by surprise. Lesson to self: n don't touch any creature that you know nothing about.

 

[drbill]

Torpedo rays in areas that see a lot of divers are probably used to our presence enough to not go around shocking people for no good reason. If you try to touch them, and they feel threatened, that's another story. At Catalina I had my face right next to one, because I didn't see him lying there, and he paid me no attention.

Correct. Generally torpedo rays do not bother us. I've filmed them from just a foot or two away while they were lying on the bottom. However, on occasion while filming them in mid-water I've had them abruptly do a 180 and come at me. There isn't much they are afraid of in the ocean.

 

[diver 85]

Is a 'torpedo ray' the same as a 'lesser electric ray'???..If so, I got 'hit' by one down in Dominica couple years ago---on the left forearm(thru my skins).......Hurt like heck for a couple minutes(actually thought it had bitten me & broken the skin---but there was nothing there when I pulled my sleeve up)......Felt it(just uncomfortable) for a couple hours...But, I survived...Didn't really find out what it was till around suppertime when I showed one of the DMs my pic & he said 'Oh, the lesser electric ray'......

EDIT..it was the wife & I only on a late afternoon shore dive @ Castle Comfort Lodge......She just laughed when it happened & afterwards told me 'that's what you get for harassing the local critters'....(I was only trying to get a pic & never got within 3 feet of it.....hmmmm)...Thinking I got one of the 'warning' shots????? This pic was taken about 2 seconds before it darted up off the bottm & got me...lol

 

[TONY CHANEY]

If you are referring to the Cousteau episode, it was part of Cousteau's Rediscovery of the World for Turner Broadcasting and was titled "Channel Islands: At The Edge of a Human Tide" or something like that.

Thanks Dr Bill but I was refering to Kwinter's video which BTW is pretty damn funny.

 

[kwinter]

For anyone interested. I was trying to get a good shot, thinking it was an Atlantic Pelagic Ray. Then it lunged at me and sat in the water column just staring at me. Finally it charged at me and knocked the reel out of my hand, twisting the line over the spool and creating a bird's nest. You can hear my expletive at the end. But I didn't get shocked.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vyi7kybaa296utp/Torpedo Ray off U853.wmv