Thousands of tourists expect excellent diving from the Red Sea, because it is in these waters that you can find the most beautiful underwater world on the planet. If you decide to scuba dive, then it is better to find out in advance what you can encounter underwater and which of the most dangerous inhabitants of the Red Sea reefs can cause a ruined vacation.
The rules of conduct while diving are simple:
- swim gently;
- if possible, do not touch anything;
- do not catch fish with your bare hands;
- do not break corals;
- do not frighten moray eels;
- if an accident occurs, do not panic.
These rules were invented both to protect divers from dangerous sea creatures, and to protect the unique inhabitants of the depths from not always correct scuba divers.
In the Red Sea, you can see not only cute colorful fish, amusingly hurrying somewhere about their business, but also quite solid opponents who can rebuff any predator, including humans. So, before you is the rating of the most dangerous marine inhabitants.
Crown of thorns starfish
Poisonous spiked starfish are rare but can still be found in coral forests. These creatures can be up to half a meter in diameter. You can recognize them by their orange-violet color and numerous needles 3 cm long, which dot the entire body.
A swelling appears from a needle prick on the crown of thorns star, which lasts more than a week. The injection site will hurt a lot. Immediately after injecting the poison, you may feel dizzy.
Coral
It is better not to touch the most common living corals underwater, otherwise there is a risk of getting a burn, which will remind of itself 2 months after returning from vacation. Yellow corals leave especially unpleasant marks on the skin. For this they are called burning.
Jellyfish
Those who often rest on the seas are familiar with jellyfish. There are several species of jellyfish dangerous to humans in the Red Sea. These include physalia, painted in purple. This jellyfish usually floats above water and resembles a dumpling.
The effect of its poison is comparable to that of a viper. After touching the stinging cells, a person gets a burn, causing shortness of breath and increased heart rate. However, there is no mortal danger when touched by physalia.
Also, a meeting with a box jellyfish will be unpleasant for a diver. Her burn can cause redness of the skin for up to a week and pain in the place where the tentacles touch.
Cones
A sea snail that lives in a beautiful shell, often used as a souvenir, is a very dangerous creature. It is a predator that feeds on worms and sometimes fish. You cannot quickly pull a heavy shell on yourself, so the cones lie in wait for their prey, sitting in ambush, plunging into the sand. When a potential prey swims by, the snail throws out a proboscis, at the end of which there are sharp thorns with poison. The poison serves to immobilize prey, but it can also be used against humans. An antidote for a cone bite has not yet been invented, so divers must be very careful.
The most poisonous are the Geographic and Textile cones, as well as the Brocade Shell. These snails bite so that a person can die. Even if this does not happen, then loss of consciousness, stomach problems and cramps are guaranteed to him.
Fish surgeon
The surgeon fish is called so for a reason: it has in its arsenal "scalpels" - sharp scales near the tail. These fish are accustomed to not being afraid of anyone, therefore, to an inexperienced diver, they seem to be just curious creatures flirting with a person. In fact, the fish can attack the diver and inflict dangerous wounds on him.
Lionfish
Spectacular fish with narrow fins deployed in all directions have been seen by every scuba diver who dives in the coral reefs of the Red Sea. These are lionfish - calm, indifferent to everything that floats nearby, including a person. Naturally, only until the diver starts catching these fish with his bare hands. Even the slightest touch of the lionfish's fins, which secrete a dangerous poison comparable to that of a cobra, will end badly.
In a healthy young person, lionfish venom can cause unpleasant symptoms such as vomiting and nausea, and in older people and children, the injection can be severely allergic.
