safe distance

[Ga Diver]

I am a fairly new diver, and would like to know what is a safe distance to take pictures of an eel? I took a picture of a green moray in West Palm Beach Fl, but not too good, guess I was a little nervous about bothering him. What damage can they do to a diver?

Thanks, Keith

 

[Walter]

Any time you deal with wild animals, there's a chance you'll be injured. In most cases, you can safely approach Green Morays very closely. Keep in mind, if one does bite, it will be very painful and is likely to become infected.

 

[Pierre Siquet]

safe distance has no theory. Just try to imagine whether the eel feels safe or not. Sometimes you can go very close, sometimes better not. You might see an eel on the open bottom, and feel it is more free to escape and therefore less stressed, but actually just might be opposite, as it does not get used leaving its body out in the blue unprotected. Another fish "stuck" in a cavity might feel more threatened.

You just have to try to imagine for the fish what is safe and not, and add a good safety margin on it .

I've once caressed a giant moray eel's cheek. Actually, my main concern was not to get bitten, but to be pulled back in her cave.

 

[caymaniac]

I try to get any where from 12 to 36 inches from the subject, it depends on your lens, domeport, the size of the eel.
I've had an eel against the domeport, how I realized this was I couldn't focus.
Eels have really bad eyesight. Use common sense, if the eel seems very aggresive, find another subject!

Dive Safe,
Caymaniac

 

[jeadiver]

Morays can do quite a bit of damage if they feel threatened, but you have to get close enough to get the shot based on the limitations of your equipment. In all of my pictures (a couple of hundred) I have only had two times when I was threatend:
Once when I irritated a an ocean trigger fish and another when the strobes irritated a good sized sand tiger shark. The trigger fish attacked, and tried to nibble me to death with hundreds of painful chunks out of my skin (thank God for a 5mil suit!). I am very wary of trigger fish now. The Sandtiger did a "gape" which (according to the experts) is kind of like a warning bark that the animal is getting tired of you. I left the area where the shark was right afterwards. The pciture below shows the Shark, so you might get a feel for why I left.

 

[toni_al]

I've once caressed a giant moray eel's cheek. Actually, my main concern was not to get bitten, but to be pulled back in her cave.

How would yo like it if a stranger carressed your cheek?

 

[PhotoTJ]

toni_al once bubbled...

How would yo like it if a stranger carressed your cheek?

Depends on the stranger!

 

[alaity47]

jeadiver once bubbled...
The pciture below shows the Shark, so you might get a feel for why I left.

Yeah, that would scare the heck out of me... great pic!

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I have hand fed Morays and had them rub against me. Each time I could not keep my eyes off their teeth. Like all wild animals, they are curious. If they feel you pose no threat they will either check you out or ignore you. Try to imagine whether the eel feels threatened by your movements.

 

[SeaJay]

Wow! Picture of the month right there!