However, there are hidden dangers lurking just below the surface. Even as it beckons, the sea demands respect. Riptides, rogue waves and undertow are just the beginning.
When you're in the water, you'll encounter creatures out there that will make it clear you're out of your element. While most are harmless, some are the stuff of nightmares.
COMMENT on Facebook and tell us which one was the scariest!
1. The Mantis Shrimp
Don't let the name fool you — these "shrimp" are some of the toughest customers in the ocean. Theirpowerful clubs can punch so hard and fast that they can break typical aquarium glass.
2. Swordfish
They're not known to attack people unprovoked, but when threatened swordfish won't hesitate to put their namesake bills to use, as one did to a fisherman in Hawaii in 2015, killing him.
3. Stingray
Stingrays tend to be lazy creatures, but when they're in danger they will protect themselves with a stinger on their tail armed with a deadly venom.
4. Nomura's Jellyfish
Usually seen around Japan, Nomura's jellyfish are huge, larger in diameter than a grown man is tall, and weigh about 400 pounds. And check out the mass of venomous tentacles!
5. Crocodile
Like coming face-to-face with a dinosaur, crocodiles can grow up to 20 feet long and weigh 2,000 pounds. Their powerful jaws and row of jagged teeth are enough to keep most people out of the water.
6. Giant Pacific Octopus
The largest species of octopus in the world, the Pacific Giant can stretch its tentacles out up to 20 feet and can camouflage itself to blend in with its surroundings. You don't want to get one of those tentacles wrapped around your ankle!
7. Basking Shark
Although basking sharks eat plankton, you still have to respect a 40-foot shark that weighs more than five tons and sports a ridiculously huge mouth!
8. Humpback Whale
Humpbacks are known for their incredible aerial displays when they breach the surface, and usually that's just an amazing sight. But as the boater below discovered, it's not all fun and games when 30 tons of whale gets too close.
9. Great White Shark
Of course, no list of ocean-based dangers would be complete without a mention of Jaws itself. Unlike the larger basking sharks, Great Whites love meat and are known to attack humans five to 10 times a year.
Pro surfer Mick Fanning was lucky to escape without injury after a shark attacked him during a competition being broadcast live on TV.
At the event in South Africa, Fanning punched the shark in the back before scrambling onto a jet ski.
10. Whale Shark
The largest fish of them all, whale sharks feast on plankton, just like the basking shark. Nevertheless, do you think a shark that can grow up to 60 feet long would even notice if some poor human got caught up in its mouth?
11. Giant Squid
Little is known about these elusive creatures, but the largest ever found was comparable to a bus. Considering their deep ocean habitat, the terror of being hauled into the inky blackness of the depths make giant squids the subjects of some compelling nightmares.
12. Anaconda
Yes, these massive snakes are at home underwater. Native to South America, anacondas are some of the longest, heaviest snakes in the world. You don't have to worry about venom with anacondas — they just wrap their prey with their huge bodies and squeeze, either cutting off blood to the brain or drowning the unfortunate prey.
It's unclear what species this giant snake was, but considering the picture was taken from a plane, it's safe to say you don't want to be in the water with it.
13. Seaweed Forests
We're not talking about the seaweed you find in sushi — this is the kind of seaweed that divers have been known to gettangled in and drown.
Main image via New York Times / Reuters
Collage image via Today FM
0 comments: