spearfishing & sea snakes ?!?

[getawayFK]

Hello everybody !

I am wondering if there is any risk of spear-fishing or free-diving with sea snakes around? What are the DOs and DONTs with them? Today I spotted 2 sea-snakes that got bit too curious.... and Im planning to go back to the area very soon.


Here is the story:

I went spearfishing 2day in a rocky reef area (sadly, the majority were damaged/dead reefs) in the northern tip of Qatar. Visibility wasn't so bad (some 10feet) as it was quite windy. After drifting in the shallows (some 1-3meters) for like 1 hr , i spotted few good sized trevallies. But they were very cautious, so I decided to "chum" few sea urchins, as there were plenty of them around in the reef. So i let the gun sank behind me and went forward with the knife cutting and shumming a couple of urchins. When I turned back to get the gun, and out of no-where, I see a large sea-snake (some 1.5m at least) that is checking out my gun. It was a beautiful sight, as I have never seen a sea snake before. But soon, it gets bored from my gun and gets more interested in me, and starts checking my fins. I tried to remain very calm, and observe its beauty. But soon, another sea-snake showed up (it was smaller than the 1st one) and followed me for quite a time.At this time, i got bit worried, and as it was getting darker (I was spearfishing during the sunset time), and decided to get out of the water and go back home with no-fish on the table....

So is the behavior I described in the story normal of sea snake? Note that I wasn't carrying any fish on me on a stinger...

Thanks !

 

[Marwan]

was it a sea snake or a morray eel? morray eels are generally drawn to your catch and could be quite a nuissance, im not very experience with sea snakes but i think they are much thinner, black and white in colour, drawn to blood and quite poisonous..

 

[getawayFK]

No it was sea snake (it had the small head of a sea-snake relative to its body compared to the elongated head of moray eel) and i just checked for some pics online for it, exactly how i saw it. But i was surprised at the size of the 1st one (really large). The 2nd one was smaller, something of 1m or bit smaller and thin.

 

[baracuda]

hiya was it yellow and black bars OR yellow and orange ? ?

iv seen alot of sea snakes i saw 3 today but they usually just swim past you like they didnt even see you iv never had one follow me .. what color is your gun ? and what color is the line ?? there is a speargun line that is black and yellow and its the pattren as the seasnakes that might have been what attracked it .. i know that at a certain time of year seasnakes get attracted to orange or yellow i forget which one ,,,, but dont worry they have very small mouths so its hard for them to bite you but if they do bite you then worry because there poison is 10 times more powerful than land snakes.

Hello everybody !

I am wondering if there is any risk of spear-fishing or free-diving with sea snakes around? What are the DOs and DONTs with them? Today I spotted 2 sea-snakes that got bit too curious.... and Im planning to go back to the area very soon.


Here is the story:

I went spearfishing 2day in a rocky reef area (sadly, the majority were damaged/dead reefs) in the northern tip of Qatar. Visibility wasn't so bad (some 10feet) as it was quite windy. After drifting in the shallows (some 1-3meters) for like 1 hr , i spotted few good sized trevallies. But they were very cautious, so I decided to "chum" few sea urchins, as there were plenty of them around in the reef. So i let the gun sank behind me and went forward with the knife cutting and shumming a couple of urchins. When I turned back to get the gun, and out of no-where, I see a large sea-snake (some 1.5m at least) that is checking out my gun. It was a beautiful sight, as I have never seen a sea snake before. But soon, it gets bored from my gun and gets more interested in me, and starts checking my fins. I tried to remain very calm, and observe its beauty. But soon, another sea-snake showed up (it was smaller than the 1st one) and followed me for quite a time.At this time, i got bit worried, and as it was getting darker (I was spearfishing during the sunset time), and decided to get out of the water and go back home with no-fish on the table....

So is the behavior I described in the story normal of sea snake? Note that I wasn't carrying any fish on me on a stinger...

Thanks !

 

[getawayFK]

Yo baracuda salam man !

my gun is green & black, the band is blue, and the line is black with yellow, my fins are solid black too, and my snorkel is shiny yellow-orange, so basically, its an all-rainbow

The 1st one was like brown-purple on its top and more light (like whitish on its belly side), and the other one (smaller) was with black bars.

Where were u diving 2day? I was close to Madinat-al-shamal area.

I'm going to to dive this friday or saturday... Are u for a dive ?

See ya !

 

[Amphibious]

when I lived in KSA I dove with sea snakes on a regular basis. they are very very currious. I've had them follow me for hours while spear fishing. just keep an eye on them, and give them the respect they deserve. they are cold blooded so don;t be surprised if they decided to try to "cuddle" to steal a little heat. yes it's alarming, but keep your cool and they'll take off eventually. I was always most concerned about slapping one with my fin accidently, as they usually followed in my wake.

enjoy them! they're interesting critters!

BTW: the "small mouth" story with sea snakes it 100% garbage. snakes can open their mouths to nearly 180 degrees, giving them the ability to bite a nearly flat surface. they can bite you anywhere, and easily. I've had snake fangs go through 5mm neoprene often when I used to whitewater kakak. they don;t bite you because they choose not to, and not because they can't

 

[sanadw]

looooooooll thats creepy!!!!
one time in Dukhan ..... I was following a nice grouper and out of no place I saw this damn big sea snake coming toward me .... like I am her target .... I stand still not becuase i am a pro. but because of the shock!!!!
I killed so many land snakes while i was young ... and ever thing start to rumble in my head.... now this one is coming for revenge!!!

any ways ... thanks God it just passed half a meter under my body and continued .... like i was INVISIBLE!!!!

Any ways wait one or two more months ... you they will become like your friends the jellyfish!!!
hundreds of them..... its mating time body!!!!

 

[island_sands]

looooooooll

Any ways wait one or two more months ... you they will become like your friends the jellyfish!!!
hundreds of them..... its mating time body!!!!

It's mating time? Well I guess I might go out on Thursday night then

rofl

 

[sanadw]

It's mating time? Well I guess I might go out on Thursday night then

rofl

looool .... he said its not less than 1.5m long!!!! are you sure you can handle it???:duh

like a barbiq stick!!!!rofl

 

[getawayFK]

Also few days ago I was diving with a friend and we saw another small seasnake (yellow body with black bars). It was relatively small (maybe 60-70cm) and just cruised couple of meters from us as if it didnt see us... This time I felt much more comfortable, as it was much smaller than the 1st snake, visibility was pretty good, and of course i wasn't alone too....

And as you said amphibious, I was bit worried about hiting the snake with my fins because it kept following me, and i thought that if i accidentally hit it, it could bite me just as a self-defense reaction.

Thanks all for the replies...

 

[Coral Sniper]

I was diving with this newbee and we came across a small seasnake and guess what he did? He shoots it:duh :duh I told him not to :head but he still did?! Crazy

 

[getawayFK]

I was diving with this newbee and we came across a small seasnake and guess what he did? He shoots it:duh :duh I told him not to :head but he still did?! Crazy

Oh dude thats wicked! I hope u guys at least ate the poor snake at the end rofl rofl rofl . But what if he had missed and shot the snake in its body? that could have turned into a tragedy for either of you...

 

[Coral Sniper]

Yeah I know I was trying to get out of there!!He hit the snake in the body but lucky he was useing a pole spear with paralyzer tip so the snake did not get us!! PS it tasted great! jk

 

[baracuda]

he he he he yesturday i had an encounter with one of the oceans other toothy creatures a 1.3m shark .. i was freediving 100m off the shore for kingfish on one of the wrecks where i spotted a shoal of BIG trevallys so i dived down and speared a big one it started darting around on my line so i left it for a few seconds in mid water so it would attract the kingfish nothing showed so i pulled it to the surface and grabed the spear i dont use a snorkel so my head was out of the water then i noticed something brown under the water right infront of me i put my head under the surface and and it was a shark it had come all the was up to look at my fish and the went back down to the bottom ..

and the fact that i keep my fish on a stringer tied to me has got me wondering

buuut on the brightside the kingfish are here in force along with some big baracudas .


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Amphibious]

but remember:

there are no sharks in qatar
there are no sharks in qatar
there are no sharks in qatar
there is no problem with keeping fish on your belt


so recent posts on DB would have you belive

 

[getawayFK]

Well that was probably a small reef shark , it doesnt even count as a shark compared to the GW, bull or tiger ones

have a safe dive buddy !

so still, there are no sharks in qatar , hmm, I mean man-eater ones

 

[Amphibious]

ever seen what a little reef shark can do to a large Canad? it'll take your hand off just fine. dont EVER pretend for one second just because something is small it's not dangerous.

 

[getawayFK]

he he he he yesturday i had an encounter with one of the oceans other toothy creatures a 1.3m shark .. i was freediving 100m off the shore for kingfish on one of the wrecks

Where were u diving man ?

 

[sanadw]

rofl First of all, Thats a great size king congrats Cuda for such a nice fish.:friday

Today I went to the same spot Man the water was full of trevallys... speard the biggest two, but them in my belt and kept searching for the kings, my body (newbee) saw one and he try to follow it!!!! yes the fish was faster:duh
went back to my flasher shaking it like no tomorrow... but nothing ...
I end up diving down looking at these huge schools of trevallys but can't shoot because it was so dark.. 6.somthing pm
and the back trip was much harder like swimming behind a 250ph engine!!!
:crutch very strong current.
Will go back there earlier on Saturday at 1 or 2 pm... (its an open invitation spearos)

the shark was a blacktip and its a normal one, we saw and eat lots of them, for sure i will spear it if i saw it :inlove ...
only call me if its a hummer head or bull!!!

and yes .. one thing more ... have a look at this link, now that really scared me :
Realsurf News - VIDEO-Amazing footage of great white shark and diver

 

[baracuda]

Where were u diving man ?

oldreef at dusk