A Man’s Deep Sea Dive Turns Dark When a Huge Eel Attacks and Bites Him

Deep-sea diving can be an incredible experience with countless coral beds and marine life to explore. However, as one diver recently discovered, these explorations aren’t without their risks.

A video that’s made its way around the internet shows a diver swimming along a local hotbed for fish activity when he stumbles upon an eel. While it seems the encounter will end peacefully at first, things quickly shift from good to bad as the moray eel turns and quickly bites the diver.

Even though the person escaped with a single bite and a few stitches, it does beg the question:

“Why did the moray eel attack?”

These animals aren’t known for their aggressive behavior, but scientists have reported that they can sometimes be territorial and reactive.

In the following sections, we’ll take a closer look at what makes moray eels unique, discuss why the bites occur, how frequently they happen, and what to do if you find yourself in a similar situation.

What Are Moray Eels?

Moray eels are a family of elongated, snake-like fish found in oceans all over the world. Even though they’re common in coral reefs, rocky coastlines, and underwater caves, most people won’t experience an eel in the wild unless it’s during a dive.

These elusive creatures tend to find crevices to hide in during the day and will come out at night to hunt for prey.

Size and Color

Typically, moray eels have a wide range of sizes from roughly 1 foot to over 10 feet, depending on the species. They also have a variety of colors, including greens, browns, yellows, and even zebra stripes. 

While there are differences among species of moray eels, they all tend to have the same skin type — smooth and scaleless with a protective mucus-covered layer.

Unusual Jaw Structure

At first glance, the moray eel looks like a normal fish. However, hidden in its throat is a second set of jaws called the pharyngeal jaw. Unlike the pharyngeal jaws of other fish that are operated by a cradle of muscles, moray eels possess muscles that act like bungee cords. This unique design allows them to shoot their jaws forward and pull prey deeper into their mouths.

Are Moray Eels Dangerous?

However, when they are free-swimming, they tend to be extremely defensive and will protect themselves if they feel threatened. Most interactions between moray eels and people end peacefully, but the encounters that do end in an attack are usually a result of one of the following:

• Defensive reaction

• Mistaken identity

• Territorial behavior

How Common Are Moray Eel Attacks?

Compared to other marine animal injuries, moray eel bites are relatively rare. Divers are far more likely to encounter issues with jellyfish stings, sea urchin punctures, or minor coral scrapes than be attacked by an eel.

However, there are a few factors that can increase the risk of an eel bite, including:

• Diving in areas with murky conditions and poor visibility

• Swimming through well-known eel habitats

• Trying to touch or feed an eel

What Should You Do if You’re Bitten by An Eel?

Animal attacks can be intense, especially when they happen underwater. If a moray eel bites you, your immediate response can significantly decrease the damage caused by the animal.

Moray eels have powerful jaws, sharp, inward-facing teeth, and a mouth full of bacteria that can lead to a high risk of infection. So, following a few key steps can make all the difference in your recovery after the attack.

Stay Calm and Avoid Jerking Away

Regardless of the animal, our first instinct is to quickly pull our arms or legs away when something bites us. However, this can actually make the situation worse with moray eels.

If the eel has a solid grip, jerking away can deepen the wound, tear tissue, or even break bones. Instead, you should try to stay as still as possible to minimize further damage until the creature releases its bite.

Safely Disengage from the Eel if Possible

In most cases, a moray eel will bite and let go quickly. But if it holds on, try to gently press against its head or body to encourage it to release. What you don’t want to do is pull straight out of the mouth, as it may cause more damage. Once free, try to use an object to create distance between yourself and the animal.

Get Out of the Water

After the eel disengages, it’s important to get out of the water quickly. Continuing the dive with an open wound could increase the risk of infection or attract other, more dangerous marine life in the area.

Seek Medical Care

Since eels are known to carry nasty bacteria in their mouths, even small bites can lead to severe infection. It’s critical to visit a healthcare professional and have the wound assessed. In most instances, you’ll need antibiotics and a tetanus shot to help minimize the effects of the bite.

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