Expedition Fleet Blog

In the last list of marine creatures to be aware of, we talked about sharks, sea urchins, box jellyfish, sea snakes and stingrays. Those were already a handful and so I saved up the rest of the list for this entry.

The importance of this is to be aware of what creatures you’ll encounter when you’re scuba diving, why they are dangerous and how you can avoid them or treat the damage they can cause you.

So without further ado, here’s the rest of the dangerous marine creatures:

Puffer Fish – If only this fish was as kind as Bloat in Finding Nemo, but it’s not. This fish is known to contain enough toxin that it can kill 30 people. The sad fact about it is that there is no known antidote, what one can only do is support the respiratory and circulatory system until the poison wears off.

What’s very ironic is that this fish is considered a delicacy in Japan, so if you have a loved one that’s been a victim of this fish, go ahead and eat one for revenge.

Stonefish – This fish is known to be the most poisonous fish in the world. It’s also good in camouflage that people accidentally get too close to it. This fish has 13 spikes on its back that contains an extreme venom. If not treated, it can cause death to a person in hours. Be aware of this fish because not only is it good in camouflage looking like rocks but it usually hides in coral reefs and can be found at the sea bottom.

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Catfish – No matter how good they taste and how crispy they can get, these fishes can be a potential danger to humans. When it feels threatened, it puts out spikes that contain venom and cause severe pain. Though very rare, there have been cases that death has been caused by such. Catfish venom still remains in them after a few days, so if you’re planning to cook one, be aware and cautious and handle it with care.

Blue Ring Octopus – Though these creatures are small, they are known to be the deadliest sea creatures ever known. They will attack anything, even humans, when provoked. Their poison is enough to kill 20 people or more in minutes. Their venom can cause paralysis and respiratory arrest. Again, there is no known cure for it.

Cone Shell – No matter how attractive these may be, be careful before you pick them up. These are snails that have teeth like harpoons where venom passes through. Such venom’s symptoms are pain, swelling and numbness and, in some cases, can lead to death.

Lionfish – These fishes have long poisonous spines that are deadly to a variety of marine creatures. Though not known to be deadly to man, it causes severe pain, headaches and vomiting. They don’t attack people unless provoked but if you get stung by one, soak the affected area in hot water and immediately get medical help.

These are some of  very dangerous marine creatures known to man, but we should always remember that we are more dominant than them because we have the brains to keep ourselves safe.

Always remember to be alert and cautious. Seek medical help immediately when needed. Never, ever provoke such animals because most of the ones listed here will only attack when they are provoked.

Though a lot of people are seasick, one can relate the seas to calmness, serenity and peace. But there’s a different set of rules once you go under these “calm” waters. The game will change – right there and then you’re immersed in an environment with unfriendly marine folks around. You have to play by their rules.

So for your Scuba Diving knowledge here are some of the marine life creatures you should be well aware of:

Shark – The most common of all sea animals that people dread. But if you want to be more specific, it’s the Great White Shark that’s truly feared. (Don’t know the Great White Shark? Refer to JAWS) But what we humans aren’t really aware of is that sharks don’t really attack people, unless provoked.

Yes they do bite off peoples limbs, or tear their arms, or if possible, eat the whole person up, they don’t, like I said, attack humans unless provoked and most of its species do not attack humans at all. A good tip for us is to stay away from shallow waters because this is where sharks feed. This is the reason why people get attacked because they do not mind the warnings given to them, so always heed such warnings.

Sea Urchins – The usual “attack” from a sea urchin is where one walks in water and steps on one. It’s good to know that almost all sea urchins are not venomous except for one – the Flower Urchin, which can be deadly.

Contradictory to its usual look, the Flower urchin is covered by flowers instead of thorns but they are very dangerous which can cause paralysis and even death. But what’s really a sucker with sea urchins is that their stings really hurt badly. There are even instances when the sharp spines pierce to deep in the skin that they break. These cause severe pain and infections and sometimes need to be removed surgically.

Box Jellyfish – The most dangerous jellyfish known in the world. They have at least 60 tentacles that can grow up to 5 meters long. These tentacles are so poisonous that any human being coming into contact with these can die in just hours if not treated.

But people die not because of the sting but because of the shock the poison brings, wherein such stings lead to cardiac arrests. The Box jellyfish are very numerous especially in the seas of Australia and its surrounding countries. The Box jellyfish, like normal jellyfish, are translucent making them difficult to spot.

Sea Snakes – These snakes are usually found in warm waters. They usually attack when provoked. These snakes are very venomous and if not treated immediately can cause cardiac arrest in hours. Their bites usually go unnoticed, that’s why always be alarmed. Sea snakes are usually found in shallow waters wherein they are still close to land.

Stingrays – Nobody was really aware how dangerous these creatures were until the sad death of the famous Steve Irwin. These creatures normally run away when they sense humans but attacks when provoked. The best tip for humans is to slide their feet through the sand rather than walk because once you step on a stingray, it will ferociously attack you.

That’s it for this batch! These are alerady a handful for this entry.

There’s another batch of Marine Life creatures you have to be aware of, but i’ll save that for the next entry – so watch out for it!