Russian diver attacked by fish at Similans

[h90]

This Russian private yacht has been cruising and diving the Andaman Sea (Thailand and Myanmar) for a couple of seasons now. According to an eye witness the "divers" on the vessel frequently engage in spearfishing with scuba and harassing marine life.
It's sad Park Rangers do not physically check vessels entering the marine park and make sure divers stick to certain rules and regulations while being under water.

I hope I am wrong but what I saw till now makes me think that Park Rangers and Fishery Department basically don't do anything in Thailand. Fishery Department may check Indonesien boats sometimes...

 

[Crowley]

Trigger fish maybe?
-j-

Sounds plausible - especially if it was a nesting Titan - that might explain the commotion and the attack when he touched down nearby...? Think that's more likely than a Moray eel.

I saw a Giant Moray free swimming in the Similans - may well have been East of Eden, it found a nice coral block to shelter in but unfortunately that was the domain of a resident Titan Trigger, who then proceeded to bully the Moray halfway back down the reef!

 

[Crowley]

Something I found while googling...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triggerfish

Second paragraph down "behaviour"

 

[MoonWrasse]

This Russian private yacht has been cruising and diving the Andaman Sea (Thailand and Myanmar) for a couple of seasons now. According to an eye witness the "divers" on the vessel frequently engage in spearfishing with scuba and harassing marine life.
It's sad Park Rangers do not physically check vessels entering the marine park and make sure divers stick to certain rules and regulations while being under water.

Well, I was going to speculate that the diver was overweighted, by the description in the article, but this just makes me angry that visitors are hunting in parks.

 

[Bowmouth]

I hope I am wrong but what I saw till now makes me think that Park Rangers and Fishery Department basically don't do anything in Thailand. Fishery Department may check Indonesien boats sometimes...

Unfortunately are you right about the fact that the Thai Park Rangers in general seem not all that interested in enforcing the existing rules and regulations about Park visitors. In fact since 1991 ALL of the vessels I've been working on have NEVER been checked by any Park official at all.

A more active and stern approach would be much desired I think if the Thai government is interested in preserving the few good reefs (and dive sites) that are left in this country.

 

[Bowmouth]

Well, I was going to speculate that the diver was overweighted, by the description in the article, but this just makes me angry that visitors are hunting in parks.

Yes me too. And it's quite easy for them to do so because they have a private boat, can dive where and when they want and nobody is checking on them.

 

[Code Monkey]

Yeah, my wife got attacked by a Titan in Thailand. She was the last of our small group of divers and felt her fin shaken really hard. She turned around to see the triggerfish swimming around vigorously, all pissed off. We must have, unwittingly, swam over its nest.

 

[josh]

Sounds plausible - especially if it was a nesting Titan -

Would have been my guess.
-j-

 

[pakman]

so did this guy get his toes amputated and stitched on his hand like the other idiot? Sorry, I still get chuckle out of that video... :rofl2:

 

[Zippsy]

Something I found while googling...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triggerfish

Second paragraph down "behaviour"

I love the part about the "cone-shaped area" that it protects and I've heard a lot of divers spouting that theory as gospel and others swearing it's an inverted cone. The problem is that no one has told the trigger fish that they are supposed to live by that rule. All the ones I have seen protect an area around their nest where they damn well please.... up, sideways, 45 degree angle, wherever.