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Moray Eel attack?
- Thread starter Mr. Bubble
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martinskarin
Registered
It seems like people forget one thing, this goes for most animals of course. Humans live in a protected enviroment whithout any obvious dangers in our daily life, the animals has it the other way totally. The first thing in the head (or reflex more likely since most of the has very small brains) is to be on guard and defend themselfs or run and hide from a threat or be eaten. The second one is likely to catch food at any given chance since all the other animals also are on their guard.
As for the eels that has bad vision, like many other animals under water and on land (snakes is a example), a sudden move in front of them can trigger both the run and hide behaviour or the attack or the grab food behaviour if the person in front is unlucky it is one of the two latest, eels usually just back in under the rock (the few I've seen at least) and lay still. But a poke in the open, there is no where to hide, you are behind and can attack it, it will not think "oh a nice human poking me" it will run or attack, if it does not care it has been used to humans during a long time, but if it has not, dont expect it to "think" you are nice... Humans are not food for any animals except a very few, still we can be confused as food or more likely a predator threatening the animal.
So back to the first post in this thread. I really think it was well deserved attack, or actually defence move since the poster actually was the attacker in the animals eyes..!
I use reef gloves, nor for touching, only for protecting myself against bad boyancy or other things that can happen, I do not want to touch anything unless I know I can do so without harm it, harm the life in the water, make it more used to humans or that it will not hurt me. And there is not many things I can say that I am certain about those things about, so I don't touch stuff...
As for the eels that has bad vision, like many other animals under water and on land (snakes is a example), a sudden move in front of them can trigger both the run and hide behaviour or the attack or the grab food behaviour if the person in front is unlucky it is one of the two latest, eels usually just back in under the rock (the few I've seen at least) and lay still. But a poke in the open, there is no where to hide, you are behind and can attack it, it will not think "oh a nice human poking me" it will run or attack, if it does not care it has been used to humans during a long time, but if it has not, dont expect it to "think" you are nice... Humans are not food for any animals except a very few, still we can be confused as food or more likely a predator threatening the animal.
So back to the first post in this thread. I really think it was well deserved attack, or actually defence move since the poster actually was the attacker in the animals eyes..!
I use reef gloves, nor for touching, only for protecting myself against bad boyancy or other things that can happen, I do not want to touch anything unless I know I can do so without harm it, harm the life in the water, make it more used to humans or that it will not hurt me. And there is not many things I can say that I am certain about those things about, so I don't touch stuff...
I was diving in Roatan in May and had a close encounter with a HUGE (6 feet long and almost 1 foot in diameter) moray eel.
I was taking photos at about 40 feet near the end of my dive when a huge green moray approached be from behind and swam between me and the reef. I was on one knee in a sandy area and was taking close up pictures about 2 feet from the reef. This eel just suddenly appeared in my mask from nowhere. It just swept by me and kept on going. Clearly, a case of the diver being at the mercy of a moray and the moray had no interest at all in even slowing down to intimidate me. Amazingly none of my dive buddies even saw the eel until it swam up toward the surface.
Did I get a great close up picture? Heck no!!
I was taking photos at about 40 feet near the end of my dive when a huge green moray approached be from behind and swam between me and the reef. I was on one knee in a sandy area and was taking close up pictures about 2 feet from the reef. This eel just suddenly appeared in my mask from nowhere. It just swept by me and kept on going. Clearly, a case of the diver being at the mercy of a moray and the moray had no interest at all in even slowing down to intimidate me. Amazingly none of my dive buddies even saw the eel until it swam up toward the surface.
Did I get a great close up picture? Heck no!!
Never. But then I don't go sticking my hand into holes to take bugs. Nor do I try to feed morays... especially with my hands. I've had morays come out and swim free near me, probably to get a better look at what I was since their eyesight is not considered to be particularly good.
Scuba-dan
Contributor
Well I'm a new diver but I know enough not to mess with those animals. Sorry but you asked for it, this time you were lucky but the next time you might not be.
As for the video you posted of the guy who lost his thumb, well that was very stupid so he deserved that one. We as divers have to respect those animals. I'm just happy to be one of the lucky ones to be able to do diving and enjoy just looking at them. There is no need to touch....
As for the video you posted of the guy who lost his thumb, well that was very stupid so he deserved that one. We as divers have to respect those animals. I'm just happy to be one of the lucky ones to be able to do diving and enjoy just looking at them. There is no need to touch....
indiedive
Contributor
"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."
OK, this is an old thread, and I only read the OP story and the comments on the first page. I just can't help to comment... The OP should realize, he provoked the whole situation. The OP was the one who planned (attacking) to touch the Moray's tail and Moray was defending him/herself - considering the OP movement as a possible threat. Any lawyer will win the case for the Moray in the defence of him/herself.
OK, this is an old thread, and I only read the OP story and the comments on the first page. I just can't help to comment... The OP should realize, he provoked the whole situation. The OP was the one who planned (attacking) to touch the Moray's tail and Moray was defending him/herself - considering the OP movement as a possible threat. Any lawyer will win the case for the Moray in the defence of him/herself.
Yes, morays do not "attack" but they most certainly "defend." That is why it sometimes lobster hunters get bit when they reach into a hole without looking first and a moray is in there. Morays can get used to people and become pretty docile to close approach, but when you cross the line from "up close" to invading their lair or touching then, they you are likely to get bit. A moray bite is no joke. My friend who got bit while lobstering (that is where I got my example) had the teeth penetrate to the bone (the moray was a 6 footer and only let go because my friend had the good sense to "freeze" and not tug against the eel, and moray teeth are coated with an algae slime that can create a very nasty infection. My friend was out of the water for almost three months.
Not all bites are that serious, but morays are not to be messed with lightly.
Not all bites are that serious, but morays are not to be messed with lightly.
I was kind of thinking "what an awful buddy," He's got his buddy tugging intensely at his legs, yet he shrugs it off and doesn't even look back?
Even old threads can be fun.
Since I move to Cayman you see a lot of abnormal moray behaviour. Because so many divers feed morays lionfish, you often see morays swimming out in the open and coming up to divers in expectation of food.
Let me tell you, when you are in a confined space and you see a moray swimming directly towards you doing the moray mouth gulping thing, you may know intellectually that it is not attacking you. But it looks for all the world like they are coming in with hostile intent. Very easy to get spooked.
Let me tell you, when you are in a confined space and you see a moray swimming directly towards you doing the moray mouth gulping thing, you may know intellectually that it is not attacking you. But it looks for all the world like they are coming in with hostile intent. Very easy to get spooked.
Bob DBF
Contributor
Welcome to the club, I've missed a lot, and have an archive of creatures swimming away from me, barely discernible the haze. It is hard to get a good picture when you are left frozen and slack-jawed in amazement.
Add sea lion to the list, after I was bit I called a vet I knew that worked with them, she told me to get a tetanus shot and watch the wound carefully as sea lions have the dirtiest mouths on the planet. It all turned out fine except I had to toss the wetsuit boots because of the hole.
Bob
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