Red Sea Liveaboard

[Sue]

Yep... he was responsible for BCD control. The other 2 were for fins and pulling out of water duties.  You're just jealous because they fussed around the girls and not you. You should have worn a thong over your wetsuit like the rest of us.... next time eh?

[Dr Stevil]

Excessive garlic...? you've clearly never tried my cooking before, think I could summarise it as Vampiro-phobic cuisine, and it's good for helping to prevent DCI, trust me, I'm a (Norvern mankie) Doctor


Sue, looks like you've got the YD bug good and proper, 14 posts in one day, oh the joys of worktime internet access...

[Conor]

I thought it would be more impressive going commmando, but hey

BTw, its not pasta or rice... its pasto with cakes

[Dr Stevil]

It was the breakfast spaghetti with hot sweet milk which threw me a curve  very nice though

[John Gulliver]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Steve W @ Nov. 13 2003,17:05)]John, I'd call that a close shave, I thought you might already be up on this but just as a reminder,  pufferfish (and other marine animals) contain tetrodotoxin, arguably one of the most potent toxins in nature (sodium channel blocker), people usually die after eating incorrectly prepared pufferfish, but I for one wouldn't want to get bitten or spiked by one of these puppies just in case.

Yes, I did know, Steve, but I think you have to actually injest the meat to suffer from poisoning. Actually, the spines aren't particularly hard or sharp. As I understand it, their main purpose is to make the porcupine fish difficult to swallow by predators. Other puffers don't even have them.
Thse fish don't have teeth, by the way, just very strong jaws and a hard chewing plate. I got bitten on a liveaboard trip near Marsa Alam about ten years ago. It was my own silly fault. My buddy wanted to photograph a big porcupine fish in the inflated state, so I caught it (I hasten to add I wouldn't do it now) and prodded it a bit. It blew itself up about half way but no more, so I thought if I let it go and caught it again it might go the whole way. It did, but it manged to turn round and clamp down on the index finger of my left hand and wouldn't let go. My buddy hadn't seen this and happily continued to take lots of pictures. It still wouldn't let go and in the end I had to choose between stabbing it and just pulling my finger out of its mouth by force. I chose the latter, fish-lover that I am, and broke my finger in the process. My buddy still hadn't cottoned on and couldn't understand why I didn't return his OK signal until I took my glove off and he saw the green trickle. The whole thing ended up with the boat returning to Marsa Alam and my going to the local doctor - Marsa Alam was just a little mining village at that time but the mining company had a medical officer, fortunately. He protested at being disturbed on a Saturday evening but 50 dollars did the trick and he turned out at the company's clinic and sutured my finger and gave me a tetinus shot. He was quite competent and well equipped with disposable syringes etc but the clinic was indescribably primitive. I lay on a bunk with my finger over a kidney bowl and the cockroaches greedily drank my blood! Anyway, I lived to tell the tale and learnt the meaning of "look, don't touch".

[Conor]

erm... is it true that puffers die (can die) after inflating ? in which case you were a hell of a lot luckier than the poor fish

[tom]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (John Gulliver @ Nov. 13 2003,17:25)]I took my glove off and he saw the green trickle.

Wow - you've got GREEN blood?

Maybe you really do need antifreeze in your veins to live in Scandinavia

[Dr Stevil]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (John Gulliver @ Nov. 13 2003,17:25)]My buddy still hadn't cottoned on and couldn't understand why I didn't return his OK signal until I took my glove off and he saw the green trickle.

John, I didn't realise you were a Vulcan! Live long and prosper,  oh, you already have... but that was very naughty, Conor is right the stress of "blowing up" is extremely detrimental to the fish's health, but I think Karma was served (please no curry jokes...)

[John Gulliver]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Steve W @ Nov. 13 2003,18:38)]

John, I didn't realise you were a Vulcan! Live long and prosper,  oh, you already have... but that was very naughty, Conor is right the stress of "blowing up" is extremely detrimental to the fish's health, but I think Karma was served (please no curry jokes...)

Stressful, undoubtedly, but hardly lethal, surely? They must inflate hundreds of times – every time they are attacked by a would-be predator – during their natural life-cycle. Still, as you say, it WAS very naughty.

[Kate]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Steve W @ Nov. 13 2003,16:46)]Kate, it's Simon and he's Robyn's husband

<font color='#3BB9FF'>Doh!!! I knew it begun with an 'S' (s'pose he didn't make that much of an inpact, eh?!)

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