Diplomate, Board Certification of Emergency Medicine
Chairman, Department of Emergency Medicine Ma'ayenei
Hayeshua Hospital
No doubt about it, the ocean is fun. Snorkel diving in
the Red Sea -- the warmest sea in the world -- is an
unforgettable experience. But in the waters lurk many
dangerous biting animals.
Being eaten is not an enjoyable experience, but people
in Florida, Texas, and Australia are well attuned to
staying clear of alligators and crocodiles. These
reptiles like to hide in shallow water and often appear
to be sleeping. In World War Two, a Japanese regiment
of 1000 soldiers marched through swamps to rejoin their
battalion. 980 of them succumbed to crocodiles.
Two larger animals are particularly dangerous. Sharks
are common off the coast of Australia and South Africa,
the Great White has been known to attack humans. Most
sharks are too small to want to take a chance of
attacking humans, but all sharks are attracted by blood
and frantic swimming. Hippopotamuses are cute, but are
excellent swimmers, and have rotten dispositions --
obviously their bites are with extreme force.
Barracudas have the sharpest teeth, but piranhas seem
to be a more dangerous problem in South America. These
fish attack in large numbers and can strip a horse
clean in minutes. I do not recommend these as pets.
While octopuses in general are not dangerous, the blue
ringed octopus does have a poisonous bite.
More common are stings from other dwellers of the
ocean. The Portuguese Man of War is a jellyfish that
can be seen on the shores of Israel and the USA. It has
a purple balloon-like sail, with tentacles drifting
from its body. It floats on waves and the tentacles can
sting, causing allergic reactions and pain in the area.
The treatment is to wash off what can be washed with
sea water and then warm compresses, as the poison is
deactivated by heat.
I needn't tell Australians about one of the most
poisonous animals known to man -- the box jellyfish.
People entangled in their tentacles struggle for about
a minute before dying. They are found most commonly in
the area of the Great Barrier Reef.
Other dangerous swimmers are the electric eel, although
they rarely cause enough of a discharge to be a major
problem. You'll find these in South America. Leeches
are common in cooler areas of the Northern Hemisphere.
They are worms with large mouths that attach to the
swimmer's skin and suck blood. They are now used
medicinally for people with polycythema vera and
disease of too much blood, and an important anti-
clotting medicine has been isolated from their saliva.
Honorable mention goes to the puffer fish, which does
not bite people. However, it is extremely poisonous to
eat. Master chefs in Japan study many years on how to
take out the poisonous part of the fish, and can make
over $100,000 a year preparing this delicacy.
Nevertheless, around 80 people a year still die in
Japan from improper preparation. I doubt that it will
appear in fish and chips menus any time soon.
The remainder of dangerous animals of the waters are
bottom dwellers. We'll dive into this subject next
week.
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