Are Muraena Helena aggressive?

[klemzy]

Hi guys,

To introduce myself a bit. Last year i started with spearfishing and got really into it. I always liked diving and under water world. I am fairly new to this sport so i try to learn as much as i can. I really love it because it helps me relax and clear my mind from work and stress.

This year i am spearing in a location where there is a lot of muraena helena. I’ve done quite a lot of reading on this fish however, since here is a lot of more experienced spearos, i wanted to get some thougths from you guys as well. The thing is i don’t like this fish and i scares the s**h out of me. I try to avoid it as much as possible. In a couple of times when i’ve done a dive i noticed it when i got near hear hole and not before. It’s supposed not to be aggressive however in all situations it started to get towards me out of the hole. When i moved away it hid again. Has anyone experienced that? Does that mean she was planning to attack?

Thanks for you feedback!

 

[SubSub]

Thy are not aggressive per se, but you don’t want to poke your hand in the hole. You can feel as relaxed seeing a muraena as you can seeing other fish.

 

[klemzy]

Ok got it. Thanks for the replies. By watching some video content where divers were filming muraena from close distance they hid inside the hole once divers approached them. In my case they started going towards me out of the hole that's why i got a bit concerned.

 

[Takeda]

@klemzy
Also be aware if you carry your hunt around your waist. Muraena are known to chase for your catch and that might be an unpleasant experience.
If you are diving near holes where you expect muraena then put your catch on your buoy/floatie. Remember they love dead fish and octopuses