Cross the line with the mafia and you can expect to be sleeping with the fishes. But after you read this list, perhaps you’ll wish that you were still sleeping snug in your bed on dry land. Here is a list of some of the most dangerous sea creatures swimming in the depths and shallows of the oceans. Let’s just hope we won’t need health insurance coverage anytime soon.
Lion Fish
Dubbed one of the most beautiful swimming species, the lion fish is far from a friend. Its fiery fins may seem graceful swishing in the seas, but really they have venomous veins reaching out to paralyze their prey. I don’t advise you pursue a fishing trip for these fish, they can cause permanent damage to main organs and their functions.
Lion Fish
Fire Coral
“Just keep swimming, just keep swimming”, is the advice you should listen to when you float above fire coral. Growing in most coral reefs, the fire coral is a beautiful underwater organism that can cost you hours of nausea and vomiting should it sting you, and probably a year’s worth of health insurance coverage.
Fire Coral
Tiger Shark
Half tiger, half shark… nah, that’s nonsense. This creature is all shark. Despite rarely reported events of the tiger shark attacking humans, this shark accounts for the most shark attacks that result in death. Lurking in shallow waters for its next meal, we innocently kick and splash in the low waters on the coastline. Beach day, anyone?
Tiger Shark
Great White Shark
Jaws knew the business way before this list went up. With a maximum weight of up to 2,000kg, it’s no wonder this vicious, razor-sharp-toothed predator has an appetite for seals, fish, dolphins and small whales. Humans are not strictly on their diet (we can all be picky) but there have been a large number of unprovoked attacks on humans.
Great White Shark
Stone Fish
Synanceia verrucosa is its real name, and also the sound you would probably make if you tried to call for help after being stung. With sharp and pointy needles coated in venom, the stone fish raises its spears to protect itself when it feels threatened or disturbed. It’s impressive camouflage skills make it almost impossible for us to notice alongside real stones.
Stone Fish
Sea Snakes
Although there are many kinds of sea snakes, they are all quite poisonous. The good news is that they are usually calm and not aggressive, just don’t corner or threaten them. There are some of whose venom is so potent that just 3 drops can kill up to 8 people. Easy now, their fangs are really short and can’t penetrate diving suits. Guess who’s going to the surf store today.
Sea Snakes
Striped Surgeonfish
The Hugh Hefner of the deep blue, the striped surgeonfish happily swims the surf with a harem of lovely, well, fishies. However, don’t be fooled by this colorful playboy. If he feels danger, he will not hesitate to use his super venomous spines to poison his opponent. The results could be death or permanent damage to vital organs.
Striped Surgeonfish
Irukandji Jellyfish
Size surely doesn’t matter when it comes to this little jellyfish. Belonging to the box jellyfish family, the irukandji jellyfish is only about 5 millimeters at its top, but has tentacles as long as one meter. Its sting is 100 times more powerful than a cobra and 1,000 times stronger than a tarantula. It is the only jellyfish with stingers on its head too.
Irukandji Jellyfish
Lion’s Mane Jellyfish
We have no questions as to where its name comes from, but we do want to know if our health insurance coverage will take care of this. Beach-goers on the shore of New Hampshire reported that they received stings from broken-up pieces of these jellyfish. Many marine biologists don’t believe that their stings can kill, but immediate medical attention is a must!
Lion’s Mane Jellyfish
Flower Urchin
If you’ve ever worried about food poisoning, then you’ve never visited a Japanese seafood restaurant that actually serves poisonous flower urchin soup. A Japanese marine biologist was stung by a flower urchin while conducting experiments at sea. The pain from his fingers raced to his heart and paralyzed his face. When he started to feel better, he still noticed that it took six hours until all the pain diminished.
Flower Urchin
Moray Eel
They’re called the “gangsters of the reef”, and you know why? I’ll tell you why. Not only are they aggressive to all around them, they have a vice-tight grip that they themselves can’t release. If that wasn’t enough, in death too, their mouths need to be pried open manually. Divers have reported being attacked without provocation, and one diver even lost his thumb to a moray eel.
Moray Eel
Salt-Water Crocodile
Not many people know this, but crocodiles live in the sea too. I guess it makes sense since most rivers lead to the sea. Australia is a hot-spot for attacks carried out by these beasts. Unlike the reptile whisperer, Steve Irwin, 20-30 people are attacked by salt-water crocodiles every year.
Salt-Water Crocodile
Venomous Sea Urchin
Black-spiked sea urchins are not vicious or fast, so don’t worry about trying to swim away. However, you should be cautious when swimming alongside them. Numerous divers have grazed their limbs while swimming past sea urchins and sustained serious stings which required medical attention. It did not include peeing on them – sorry if that’s disappointing.
Venomous Sea Urchin
Textile Cone Snail
They are all but what they look like. They’re small. They’re pretty. They are snails, and oh my gosh, are they deadly! The conotoxin (the dangerous stuff) in textile cone snails is so deadly that it can send a person to his grave in a less than 24 hours. So when it comes to this one, rather look and don’t touch.
Textile Cone Snail
Barracuda
This is not the kind that lurks around your pool looking for leaves. This is the serious-looking and seriously-scary sea scavenger. Many times, the barracuda has mistaken swimmers and divers as prey. On other occasions it has believed humans were big predators and even waited around to eat scraps of their meals. I doubt that ever happened.
Barracuda
Blue-Ringed Octopus
Once again, a beautiful seabed creature that could kill. Not only does it have enough poison to kill a human-being, but it can kill 30 of us! It holds the equivalent of 10,000 times the amount of potency that cyanide does. Most health insurance coverage probably doesn’t cover something like this.
Blue Ringed Octopus
Stingray
I think these creatures look like swimming tablecloths, but that’s just me and we’re talking about stingrays. They are relatively calm but if they feel threatened they will strike with their sharp sting. Most people survive such attacks, but unfortunately the famous Crocodile Dundee died after being stung through his heart.
Stingray
Pufferfish
First things first, when I was a kid I thought that pufferfish expanded by sucking in air. How would that even be possible? Pufferfish make up exotic seafood menus worldwide, but I wouldn’t try it. The tiny spear of poison found on the skin of this fish can kill more than 20 people. its poison is more dangerous to humans than it is to the fish it defends itself from.
Pufferfish
Killer Whale
Do you remember Free Willy? That lovable hunk of whale was everyone’s dream pet. But where exactly would you put a killer whale? They are known to be friendly animals, unless threatened, of course. In February 2010, a killer whale named Tilikum, killed its trainer by pulling her into the water by her ponytail and drowning her.
Killer Whale
Box Jellyfish
Unlike other deadly animals that have razor-sharp fangs, strong limbs or even beautiful colors to attract prey, the box jellyfish is as much an obvious threat as a cube of jello is. What many people don’t know, is that aside from the venomous tentacles it swims with, it can kill a human in a matter of minutes. Some effects of its sting, even after being treated, could be permanent seizures and other nervous system complications.
Box Jellyfish