HOW ABOUT A DIP?
Do you like to be beside the seaside? Be wary: there may be something in the waves. You don’t have to go very far to wade into dangerous waters. A whole poolfull of potentially perilous creatures lurks just off the world’s coastlines and riverbanks. They may seem relatively harmless, but they have been known to attack people without provocation. Take a look at some of the most beastly of these bathing beasts.
Hippopotamus
Found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, the horrible hippo has earned a terrible reputation for its vicious attacks. Its enormous bulk makes it a formidable foe, and it is surprisingly agile, able to tip over boats and munch the former occupants with its huge teeth. On land, a hippo can charge at you and swing its head like a hammer to bash you into oblivion.
Electric Eel
Ready for a shock? This predator can stun its prey into submission by releasing a 600-volt burst of electricity. Organs on its body store electricity like batteries between attacks. An eel’s shock is not actually powerful enough to kill a human outright, but you might suffer a heart attack or drown in the aftermath.
Weever Fish
This small sand-colored fish is not a great swimmer. Instead, it lies buried on the seabed with just a fin sticking out until something tasty swims by. If you should step on a weever fish, its spines will pump venom into your foot. A sizzle of pure pain will shoot through your body as your foot turns red and swells up like a foot-shaped balloon.
Flower Sea Urchin
Small and spiny, these creatures make their way across the bottom of a tidal pool munching on algae. Some of their spines are capable of releasing venom as they pinch their prey, presenting a prickly problem: the venom causes extreme pain and can lead to death. Blooming awful.
Catfish
There are more than 1,600 venomous species of these finned fatales. Venom glands are located alongside their bony spines. When defending itself from attack, the killer catfish locks its spines into place, stabs its predator, and releases its terrible toxins into the open wound. Bad kitty!
Blue-ringed Octopus
Do not disturb this rock-pool dweller. If you do step on it or pick it up, someone is going to get hurt. Its bite isn’t painful, but its saliva carries a venom powerful enough to kill—and there is no antivenin. Within minutes, you feel woozy, your vision dims, your senses of touch and speech disappear, and you stop breathing as paralysis sets in.
Sea Snake
An aquatic relation of the cobra, this slippery customer lives in the shallows, feeding on fish and eel and popping up for a gulp of air from time to time. If provoked, it may sink its venom-laced fangs into your leg. In a matter of minutes, your muscles stiffen, your jaw spasms, your vision is blurry, and you struggle to breathe.
Crenulated Fire Coral
This yellowish pore-covered sea coral branches out on reefs or attaches itself to walls, cement pilings, or other solid objects under the water. There is only one thing you need to know about it: reef it alone. Should you touch it, your skin will burn and erupt in a painful, blistery rash.
