It’s remarkable what you’ll discover when you dip below the surface of the ocean. I shot this video in the Exuma Cays, Bahamas in June 2017. The first two animals you see in this video are Nurse Sharks and Stingrays, and then you’ll see a Flat Needlefish near the surface.
Can you guess which of these 3 fish in this video is the most dangerous to humans? I’ll bet you can’t.
Nurse Sharks are incredibly beautiful and are extremely important to the delicate marine ecosystem. They can reach 15 feet in length and weigh up to 330 pounds and live up to 35 years. While most fish, including sharks, must move constantly in order to breath, Nurse Sharks can remain motionless while resting on the seafloor by facing against the flow of water and pumping the water through their gills. They catch their prey (snails, crustaceans, mollusks, and other small fish) from the sea floor by sucking their prey into their mouths. They are completely harmless and are one of my favorite fish to swim with.
Stingrays spend the majority of their time inactive, partially buried in sand, often moving only with the sway of the sea. The stingray’s spine has serrated edges and a sharp point. The underside produces venom, which can be fatal to humans. Stingrays are not aggressive at all, and only attack humans when provoked, such as if a ray is accidentally stepped on. The injury is very painful, but seldom life-threatening unless the stinger pierces a vital area. Fatal stings are extremely rare.
Needlefish are unexpectedly dangerous fish to be around, but not when you’re in the water with them; only when you’re above the water in a boat! Needlefish are capable of jumping out of the water at up to 37 mph. Since they always swim near the surface, they often leap OVER the decks of shallow boats rather than going around or under them. Their extremely sharp beaks are capable of inflicting deep puncture wounds, often breaking off inside unexpecting humans in the process. For many island communities, who primarily fish on reefs from low boats, needlefish represent a far greater risk of injury than any sharks do. Many people have been killed by being impaled in the heart, eyes, and brain by these swordlike fish.
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