[tom]

Imported post

OK, following on from John Gulliver's story about a pufferfish punishing him by biting his finger, and lots of concerns being aired about the damage we do to aquatic animals in various threads, I was just wondering how often aquatic animals do damage to US?

All the textbooks say "leave them alone and they won't harm you" ... but is that strictly true? Who here has been a victim of an unprovoked attack by marine life?

I'm not talking about jellyfish stings or sea urchin spines, or crabs etc nipping in self defence while trying to avoid being stuffed in a goodie bag. I'm talking about deliberate, unprovoked, malevolent or predatory attacks on us by marine animals.

To start the ball rolling, I was once bitten on the leg by a large Parrotfish. You know those big jaws they crunch up coral with? Bloody painful, actually. I think it mistook me for a bit of food (someone had just thrown some bread in the water nearby).

Anyone got any interesting "I was savaged by a prawn" horror stories?

 

[Kate]

Imported post

<font color='#3BB9FF'>Best I can do is having my toes nibbled by fish while on holiday earlier in the year...

x x x

 

[Mr T.]

Imported post

I was once rendered unconscious in a freak 'macramé-cheese-n-wine' accident....the details of which I'll take to the grave with me  

 

[Sean]

Imported post

I had a trigger fish have a pop at me in the Red sea..  then made sure there was always an Italian below me when we hit the sandy bits.  Worked a treat  

 

[Mark Chase]

Imported post

I was attacked by a large Titan triger fish in the Maldives when I got too close trying to get a pic. It was very large about 30-40lb in weight and it scared the hell out of me. It wouldent back down even when I hit it with my flipper.

I tend to give triger fish a wide berth these days.

Mark Chase

 

[louigi]

Imported post

<font color='#FF0000'>Mate of mine got atacked by a rabbit on the way home one night. But he was p"$%ed so it was probably a mixy one he fell over.

 

[daz]

Imported post

Yep, also got chased and hounded by a Titan triggerfish in the Maldives....

Actually chomped down on my fin as I was trying to get away - thank god it did not get flesh seeing the holes in the fin.

Of all the things I have seen, these guys really, really worry me,  I always keep a wide berth.  I just could not believe how tenacious it was and it was the fact that it would line up on me, come darting in towards my face and then turn off at the last moment, only to line up again.

Not good in nesting season.

Daz

 

[dave archer]

Imported post

Titan trigger fish and wide berths, and wise combnation - had one attack my buddy on my 8th dive, scared the daylights out of the whole group.
One minute you're feeling all relaxed with the dive, next you realise that this really is "their" space not yours, and believe me triggers are far more manouverable in the water than you are  

 

[Lou]

Imported post

I had a cuckoo wrasse suddenly dart at me and peck my mask in Ireland.

I think it must have seens its own reflection in my mask.

Its normally the small fish that I find stand up to you, but even then it is not an "unprovoked" attack, as such.  You are on THEIR patch mate!

 

[Pigpen]

Imported post

Had a few Clown fish go for the mask or camera...either the reflection or the colour?

Also once did a classic. Trying to measure exact distance for a photo of large Moray. 1/2 a metre = approx one arms length....Yes I stuck my arm out and almost put my hand in its mouth. You learn to gauge distance very quickly after that !!

 

[siltmonkey]

Imported post

I agree, Titan triggerfish can be frightening in nest season, out of all proportion to their size.  Then again if someone wombled into my house and started poking around, I'd probably chase them down the street too!

r

 

[Reeve]

Imported post

<font color='#000F22'>My nearest incdent was in the pitch black on the wreck of the Lucy (Pembrokshire). At 42m a seal pup (Still bigger than me), decided to have some fun & swim vigorously at me and at the last moment turn away such that I could feel the movement of water as it spun it's tale not 2 foot from me.

It happened so quick, I didn't see it come or leave, neadless to say it put the sh**s up me for the rest of the dive, and was lying below rudder as we went around stern.

Kept a wide berth

gareth

 

[Kate R]

Imported post

i've got a seal story too... last time i was in the farnes we were doing a wall dive, and a very playful friendly seal decided to come and have a nose about, doing all those seal things of hiding behind you and nipping at your fins etc.

ahhh, what a cute seal, i thought

then the seal seemed to get a bit over-excited by it all - you know how dogs get when they get really worked up? and it was shooting about and nipping at everything it could see

finally the seal closes its jaws on my ankle, which is when i remember how big those teeth really are - i can feel it squeezing and with just a little more pressure it would be through my drysuit and probably my leg too. i couldn't flip my fins at it or shoo it because that would only excite it more, so my buddy hit on the idea of giving it a stream of bubbles from her occy!

that seemed to work, and it left, but i have had a bit more respect for seals after that  

i know it wasn't 'attacking' as such but when things with big teeth get playful it could end up with the same result for us!

 

[Gunna Do]

Imported post

Got bitten on the cheek just under my Mask by a " Cough, Splutter Blue Cod"
at full stretch in crevice after a crayfish and the little bugger wacked me one..
Saved his mate thou, never did get that cray

Steve

 

[John Gulliver]

Imported post

There's a fish in the Florida Keys – I think they're called yellow-tailed snappers or something similar – that really is vicious! Swarms of them attack the back of your head and they have quite a painful bite. I almost decided to wear a hood for the second dive even though the water was luke-warm. It's a good thing they're less than a foot long!