Moray Eel Attack

[DocVikingo]

Have you seen this yet? ---->

It's A Moray . . .
http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/membership/alert-diver/article.asp?ArticleID=133

; )

DocVikingo

 

[Mambo Dave]

I was talking to a portugese guy, and since I was elated about a recent Moray encounter (1, 2, 3) I brought it up.

He replied that he didn't like them much. I couldn't understand why, so I asked him. He said he, and his friends, have all been bitten multiple times. Surprised, since most eels are pretty docile, I asked him just what kind of eels they had over there. He replied he though just about the same kind I showed him in the picture (green moray). Still confused, I had to ask just how they were all being bitten so often. He stated it was by lobstering - just blindly reaching into holes and grabbing for 'em! Well, I guess people do that, but around here it's a big story to be bitten once by an eel - apparently over there it's just an annoyance. He also said none of them are certified, but none of them go too deep - 20 meters at most. Yeah, I know just what you're thinkin'...

anyway...

I left thinking that they have some better way of getting an eel to release its grasp?

 

[Diver Dennis]

Mambo, that is a good point. Even the dog next door might bite you if you stick your hand in it's mouth.

 

[Mambo Dave]

Mambo, that is a good point. Even the dog next door might bite you if you stick your hand in it's mouth.

That's just the analogy I've been taught eels were like. They're pretty much like dogs - come at 'em too fast, or unexpectedly, and they'll bite; give them time and they're friendly.
But I wasn't trying to make that point for this thread - sorry if I did. Just wanted to point out that some cultures deal with them differently, and don't mix in the bravado, Sea-Quest outlooks and knives. There again, IMO there's a hell of a lot of bravado in just sticking one's arm into ocean holes without checking first...

 

[paixx01]

so what is a knife used for on a typical dive? i really don't know.

around here the 'undulated' moray is supposed to be the one with the bad temperment.

 

[seaviper]

so what is a knife used for on a typical dive? i really don't know.

tank banger to signal a lost buddy..

Anyway, I dove the Sea Emporer last week and the United Carribean. We saw the grouper and two morays, but no rays.

 

[oscar_2424]

The following medical case report discusses an attack by a moray eel on a diver at 30m (100 feet) - the basics of the story are this: Dive group was briefed that they would possibly see a moray eel on their dive. It is unclear if the dive group or previous dive groups fed the eel, but the eel apparently associated divers with food. The eel came out, circled the divers, and then clamped down on the diver's right arm. He could not get the attention of other divers, so he inflated his BC and made an uncontrolled ascent. The eel apparently let go somewhere around 50 feet, diver was taken to the hospital and had surgery. No mention of effects of uncontrolled ascent from 100 feet.

You can read the full story here: (possibly NSFW pictures of arm during surgery)
http://www.wemjournal.org/wmsonline...&issn=1080-6032&volume=015&issue=03&page=0194

My questions and comments:
1) and uncontrolled ascent from 100 ft?? that has to be more life-threatening than an eel bite
2) Aside from not supporting an unhealthy population of marine life, this is probably the best argument for not feeding creatures while scuba diving.
3) what would you have done in the same situation?

Something similar happen to my frien, we were the diving the mercedes(90 feet) and she was taking pictures when an eel came close to her and bite her right leg twice and then let her go, luckily she didnt panicked, got my attention and we start our ascent, she got like 15 stiches and a great story to tell

 

[BIGSAGE136]

SLightly off-topic, but since we got lucky recently... A friend and I just got these pictures on Saturday. This little guy was bold enough to be out in the open, but he was also timid and obviously more concerned with not getting attacked than attacking me (based on the interations I had with him, this is difficult to judge from the pictures).

http://www.countryvue.com/MrGreen1.JPG

http://www.countryvue.com/MrGreen2.JPG

http://www.countryvue.com/MrGreen3.JPG

I tested a few things out for effect. I found that closing my eyes for a period had no effect on him (probably explained by the lack of visoion to see my eyes, and/or that the closing of eyes, and eyelids in general, aren't a feature eels have), but when facing each other in another location for a while, and testing out an intentional look-away, he took the opportunity to go under me and get to another part of the wreck. I left him be at that point.

What a beautiful creature to see out of its hole though.

The largest we've seen was what I'd call an easy 9 feet. I tried hard to judge, too, but all I could come up with was that he was longer than any diver plus their fins down there. There was a group looking at his head sticking out of a hole, so I went around them, and down behind the reef only to find a massive cave area where the rest of his body was completely exposed. I'm not sure the Moray realized how exposed he really was, or he probably didn't care. They hide for ambushing fish, not as much to protect themselves when they get that size (from what I can tell).

No one told the Morays get that big, though probably no one I dive with knew that they did. A recent check on a website for green morays listed 8 feet as about maximum. This was off of Fort Lauderdale.

I realized, looking closely at that very thick, long purely-muscular tail that if an eel that size wanted me, an eel that size was gonna have me, and a good sized dive knife didn't mean much despite all the bravado I hear from divers and their shiny toys. Would I fight? Yes, but I'm just sayin'...

Best,

MD

That looks like the Sea Emperor!

 

[jpcpat]

I just love watchin Morays from a distance. They seem, maybe wistful. I know the reality, though.

Never had an agressive Moray, but once, on a night dive, I shined my light in a hole 6 inches from my face and spotted one, like, RIGHT THERE. My Buddies were amazed at how fast I can swim Backwards!!

 

[divermike1989]

If that had happened to me I woulda gotten it stiched up and hit the water with the spear GUN!!!