This underwater encounter is a perfect example of the unpredictability of wild animals. Seeing them in their natural habitats can make for some amazing experiences, but it’s important to remember that they might not be so keen to see humans.
Ian Haggerty, an experienced diver and wildlife photographer, was on a dive at Perebere, Mauritius when he caught this eel on camera. Initially docile, this eel changed quickly with no apparent provocation, turning from a calm observer into an attacker in seconds.
All Friends Under The Sea
The first time the eel emerged from its cave wasn’t to attack Ian, but instead to investigate a visiting stingray that was passing by with its accompanying escort of small fish.
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At this point the eel didn’t appear to be particularly violent or defensive, and it was just saying hello to some of its fellow creatures. It moved out smoothly from its cave and lightly touched the stingray before they calmly parted ways.
As the stingray swam away the moray eel watched it go, but it didn’t appear to be violent in any way as Ian moved around it with his camera to catch the best angles.
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A Change In Fortunes
Ian told Latest Sightings that he followed the stingray initially before returning to the eel’s cave to find it still there, and seemingly still in the same docile and curious mood.
It observed the diver for a short moment before moving towards him much as it had the stingray, getting so close that it almost ran straight into the camera.
This time though, despite its apparently calm demeanor, the eel had violence on its mind rather than a friendly boop. As Ian maneuvered to give the animal space, it cast about for a short moment before following him.
No More Mister Nice Eel
The eel pursued Ian as he moved to the surface and Ian told Latest Sightings that despite “years of experience diving with marine life, [he] had never experienced anything like it”.
While it had calmly watched the stingray move on without following, the eel now seemed determined to take action, and rather than letting Ian leave peacefully it quickly attacked his leg.
The attack itself only lasted seconds before the eel disengaged and hurried back into the safety of its cave, perhaps fearing some kind of retaliation. Warning, the next images contain some blood.
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Beware The Wilds
Ian made it out of the encounter safely, but “recovery took weeks” as the injury “was far more serious” than he thought. The true mystery is why the eel attacked at all.
Speculating on this, Ian told Latest Sightings that whether “it viewed [him] as a threat, was behaving defensively after leaving its cave, or simply mistook part of [him] for prey is impossible to know”.
Until someone figures out a way to talk to eels the reason behind this attack will remain a mystery, but for Ian the incident “reinforced the importance of respecting their space and remembering that their behavior can change in an instant”. An important message.