A medical guide to handling interactions with marine creatures

No matter how careful they are, sooner or later most divers are stung, bitten, punctured or poisoned by a marine animal. While a healthy respect for marine life and the environment is a good safety measure, accidents happen and serious afflictions may result.

Sharks are commonly thought of as the animal most likely to cause injury, but in truth, there are many other marine animals that can injure divers. Creatures such as barracuda, seals, otters and eels – while not normally aggressive – may react defensively and bite humans.