Marine life is extremely different from that of terrestrial life. The underwater experience is like no other. Coral reefs have diversity that is only comparable to the diversity found in the rainforest.

Coral reefs house animals of every shape, size, and color. The Coral reef has been around for an enormous number of years. Some of the reefs have been forming for the past 25 million years. Diving to see this amazing environment is extraordinary because of all the diversity that you can see in one area.

Some of the animals you may encounter on a dive will be beautiful, but dangerous. It is a good idea to know what sea life to watch out for. Don’t be scared just be educated about what kind of sea life there is and the potential danger that may arise from it.

Probably, the most widely known animal a diver may encounter is the shark. The majority of species of shark are harmless, even though many people have a great fear of them. A diver that comes face to face with a shark does not have a great chance of being bitten. The chance of being bitten by a shark is actually very slight.

Sharks are unpredictable creatures even though they don’t typically attack humans. When a person is attacked, it is usually at dusk when the visibility is poor. The shark cannot see very well and thinks the diver is a fish or food.

Eels are another animal a diver may encounter underwater. The moray eel is the most common eel encountered in temperate waters by divers. Several species of this eel can be up to ten feet long. Eels are nocturnal animals roaming the waters at night and not coming out too much during the day. They typically stay in their holes during the day. Divers that get bitten are usually those that pry off an oyster or abalone, and then reach back into the hole to get it. The eel mistakes the diver’s hand for food and then bites it.

Electric rays may be encountered on a dive also. They are animals that have the ability to shock you. This shock is something that a diver definitely wants to avoid. It’s not going to kill the diver; it’s just going to be very painful. It’s best to avoid the electric eel all together.

Jellyfish are another animal to avoid. Jellyfish are free-floating in the open sea. They drift wherever the water takes them, and can often come in contact with divers. Depends on the species, the sting can be mild to severe. Two forms of jellyfish should be avoided at all costs. Those are the Portuguese-Man-of-War and the sea wasp. The Portuguese-Man-of-War’s sting can put a diver in the hospital for a while, and the sea wasp can kill a diver in less than either minutes. No jellyfish sting is pleasant, but these two are by far the most dangerous.

Other animals in the sea that can be potentially dangerous are the sea urchins, mollusks, sea lions, and others. Diving in the sea can be an experience like no other, but precautions need to be taken in it like anywhere else. Divers should learn about their surroundings before entering the sea and be aware of potential dangers. The only way to know what to do when encountering a potentially dangerous animal is to educate yourself before the situation occurs.