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Scuba Forum / General / April 2004Is that even physically possible?!
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Apr/01/ln/ln14a.html > http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Apr/01/ln/ln14a.html > A 4-foot eel leaped two to three feet out of the pool and bit her on the > "This eel was an unwelcome surprise," Mattoch said. "I've spent my whole life snorkeling around Hawai'i reefs, and I've got to tell you I've > never seen an eel leap out of the water." > The suit, filed in Hilo Circuit Court last month, alleges that the resort "owned, attracted, fed, maintained and harbored a dangerous animal > species - eels" in the pool. It also alleges that the resort failed to take reasonable steps to make the pool safe and failed to warn visitors of > the danger. I can not imagine an eel leaping two or three feet out of the water. I can not imagine an eel, who does not normally leap out of the water, being accurate enough to actually hit his target as suggested. Reflection and defraction would seem to make this very unlikely. Somebody that has spent their whole life snorkeling around Hawai's reefs is going to find it hard to convice anybody that she did not know that eels are dangerous animals. I'd bet dollars to the whole in a donut that she stuck her hand into the pool, showing off her great knowledge and bravery to all her friends, with predictable results. I'm sorry for her injury. Any of us who have been equally stupid at one time or another, are glad we didn't pay a similar price. If we had, it would be deserved. Did I ever mention how I used to bulldog alligators in the Everglades or catch poisonous snakes to show my skill to Yankees? Lee > > http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Apr/01/ln/ln14a.html > [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > their whole life snorkeling around Hawai's reefs is going to find it hard to > convice anybody that she did not know that eels are dangerous animals. (snip) I don't know about the leaping out of the water part of the story, but I do have a friend that almost lost his arm because an eel chased him to the surface and took a couple of bites out of him along the way. > I don't know about the leaping out of the water part of the story, but I do > have a friend that almost lost his arm because an eel chased him to the > surface and took a couple of bites out of him along the way. That wasn't an eel, it was Curtis. Or are you talking about a different friend? > > I don't know about the leaping out of the water part of the story, but I > do [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > That wasn't an eel, it was Curtis. Or are you talking about a different > friend? Dammit, tea alert next time please......(still chuckling as I wipe up the mess) Curtis > > I don't know about the leaping out of the water part of the story, but I > do [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > That wasn't an eel, it was Curtis. Or are you talking about a different > friend? :^) Different friend. > I don't know about the leaping out of the water part of the story, but I do > have a friend that almost lost his arm because an eel chased him to the > surface and took a couple of bites out of him along the way. OK, so what's the rest of the story? What did your friend do to provoke the attack? At least part of your friend's story is consistent with the known behavior of eels. Those that have been fed, do lose their fear of humans and do associate humans with food. It is common for those that have been trained by hand feeding, to approach divers in hopes of being fed more. Since moray eels have relatively poor eyesight and hunt largely by smell, it is not uncommon for divers who have handled something that smells like eel food, to get nipped by accident. It is not common for an eel to follow a diver to the surface, at least not the eels we have down here. BTW, your friend was in the water. The woman suing the resort, reportedly, was not. In fact, I think you hit on the answer, just as I intended some would. I think she stuck her hand into the water to show off for her friends and the eel, which probably had been conditioned to associate humans with food, did what eels do. It tried to eat and, when the food it was offered pulled away, held on. Lee > http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Apr/01/ln/ln14a.html Assuming that it isnt an Aprils fools joke; "Mattoch said he had been told that cooks at the resort fed the eels in the man-made pond." It may have thought there was a snack involved. >http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Apr/01/ln/ln14a.html it's possible in the wild I'd expect it's pretty much abby-normal for an eel, but in a captive environment where the eel is fed rather than foraging on it's own... I've seen it happen. 3 ft is a pretty good leap though, but not impossible. I've seen them launch themselves for food (to beat the rest of the residents to the food) and fly out of the tank when they missed the mark. I've also had small morays in a tank that were used to being hand fed, curl up in one hand and wait to be fed from the other hand. tourists are everywhere ... a good moray eel is hard to find :^) - Ed -- refillable drysuit talc bag $9.95 ppd http://www.underwaterusa.com |
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