Moray Eel attack?

[austin.takahashi]

I had one latch onto my index finger once; I had 5mm gloves on (which probably didn't taste too appetizing) so nothing happened. I had seen that youtube video where the guy gets his thumb bitten off by an eel...I can't help but wonder what would have happened to my finger had (s)he got a bare finger in his/her mouth.

Ouch. Is that serious? Wow youre a pretty lucky guy then. 'Curious, any specific reasons why it latched onto your finger?

Personally, I dont get close with those things that look harmful. I kinda get too scared getting close to things Im not familiar with. So I keep a good distance against it while having a good look at its details and/or features too.

 

[rickhalprin]

I naVe been on MANY dives OBSERVING large morays and only once did I withess a problem. A wOMAN PUT HER HAND IN THE FACE OF A SIX FOOT MORAY AND IT ACCEPTED THE INVITATION NY LATCFHING ITS TEETH IN HER HAND. LOTS OF BLOOD AND A VERY STUBBORN MORAY LATER, SHE WENT TO THE HOSPTIAL FOR TONSS OF STICHES. LUCKY NOT TO HAVE LOST HER HAND.. SHORT STORY- HARMLESS IS HARMLESS UNTIL THREATENED. REMINDER- DONT IRRITATE THE WILDLIFE. THEY REACT NEGATIVELY.

 

[AlaskanDiveGirl]

Just from years of experience of owning several different moray eels that I have kept in my aquariums...moray eels can be quite aggressive when they are provoked, hungry, touched, or feel that their “personal space” as been invaded or just in a general cranky mood that particular day… placing your hand in the tank with an eel is usually inviting a severe bite, or an inquisitive bite, not highly recommended. .unless the eel has been “trained” over time… although I have heard of people “petting” eels in the wild….. I think that those eels have been conditioned over time to the presence of divers.

I think that the eel was surprised to come across you in a night dive… it is their more active hunting time and when it felt you light touch on its tail…attacked… Moray eels will attack. For the most part, if they are in their holes and just hanging out…they are “relatively safe” but a free swimming eel is on the hunt and better left alone and if you find your self within arms length….keep body language as non-threatening as possible…they usually will go their own way…

 

[Karl_H]

incountered a free swimming morey on a night dive. My buddy and I saw the eel, and I reached over to touch its tail. As I glanced on past him (her), I felt this intense tugging on the thigh of my wetsuit. I figured it was my buddy getting my attention to look at the eel and shrugged it off. The next thing I know is that the morey eel was up close and personnal with my BC, legs, tank and almost biting my face. I raised my hand and it swam off.

I think the best way to sum this up is by replacing the term 'nightdive' with 'nightclub' and 'moray eel' with 'pretty girl' - If the police (or scuba police!) had turned up I'm sure the girl (or moray) wouldn't be spending heading to the police station cells for the night :shocked2:

On a serious note most morays are effectively blind during the day, or at least very poorly sighted, hence they only really operate by smell - that's why they have a placid look about them I guess! In the night their visions still isn't so good but it's a lot better than most of it's prey it pitch darkness, if you shone your light right on it then touched it I wouldn't be too surprised it that's what had set it off....

 

[Nesi8]

I took a close up photo of a green moray in Belize and it came right out after me. I quickly swam away and as I was swimming my fin hit it and it stopped coming at me and swam away. I think the flash of my camera is what caused it to come after me. I have taken many photos since but have not had a problem.

 

[alibi 2]

Moray's will bite and when they are out free swimming is when they are the most dangerous (so Im told) We encounter a lot of them free swimming and in holes in the sea of cortez...I would never try to "touch" one....They are not a fish you want to spear as they will come right back up the spear at your...

I was shocked to learn that Trigger fish are good biters too..and territorial. A Florida man got his pinky finger bitten off by one and a diver in Fiji lost a good portion of his ear....In Mexico we will catch them when fishing..(excellent cerviche) but they will do a real job on the lures with they're beaks and the will actually growl at you...I give them a lot of space too..escpecially if they are acting like they are protecting an area im swimming in...

 

[DandyDon]

Yeah, Damsels are funny when they charge me and my camera, but if a Trigger acts funny - I back off. Same for Cudas and Eels.

 

[101recon]

Damsels are a cocky species,especially for their size.I had one for several years in a tank with a Snowflake Moray.The Damsel would often back up (tail first) into whichever crevice or hole the Moray was facing out of and,for lack of a better term,flutter it's fins without moving.It did this only an inch or two from the eel for a few seconds to a minute or more.I could never figure out if this was outright defiance or some unfamiliar behavior.The eel seemed to care less but would occasionally move somewhere else.Though this particular eel was very docile and even playful,I was amazed that I never saw an attack.

 

[binobanana]

Put your hand in a crack; and you wont get it back; ITS A MORAY!

 

[phillybob]

A near miss. He's lucky he didn't scratch my port or I'd have.....