After reading Clarity's trip report, I now have a new fear of lionfish. Can anyone please tell me more about them? HOW poisonous are they? What should I do when I see one? Where do they hang out? Do they hide or are they visible? Do they travel solo or in groups? ............and most importantly, where is the place to eat one? Speaking of poisonous things........anything else I need to fear in the water??
Thank you in advance and blessings to you and yours.
There are countless things to fear in the water.
So much so that you could talk yourself out of ever going in, but don't.
Walking the streets of Negril is far more dangerous than going in the water and not nearly as pleasurable. (I'm referring to traffic not anything else.)
Lionfish (because of their poisoness spines) move much slower than most fish.
While they will defend their territory they're not going to pursue you.
Simply stay away from them and you'll be safe.
If you want to swim in the sea get some relatively inexpensive competitive style swim goggles (they only cover your eyes-unlike a mask).
This will allow you to see what you may be swimming into (like jellyfish) and they'll protect your eyes from the sting of salt water.
Enjoy the water!
Last edited by Rum-polephoreskin; 01-26-2012 at 04:28 PM. Reason: clarification
HMMMM...goggles....good idea!Originally Posted by Rum-polephoreskin
Deanna (aka DeeDee from NY)
Yeah I haven't ever ran into anything on the Seven Mile so I should count myself lucky. Its like anything though be aware of your surroundings and don't do anything silly and you will be just fine!
Some people were born in the wrong century....I was born in the wrong country!
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Follow the advice above and use a mask or goggles and don't touch anything then you'll be OK.
Jelly fish, sea urchins, and fire coral are the things most likely to hurt you, but they can't if you
don't touch them. Even if you do, it's not life threatening.
Respect,
Col. Andy & "Wildcat" Pam
The basic scuba diving rule that also applies here is beware of anything that will let you touch it. They're are not scared of you for a reason.
INVASION OF THE LIONFISH
Severe direct and indirect impact from the Lionfish have been reported on coral reef ecosystems in Bermuda, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, Haiti, Virgin Islands, Belize, Panama and Colombia, and the Netherlands Islands.
The Lionfish is an efficient carnivore that feeds on a wide variety of smaller fishes, shrimps and crabs, out-competing native species. It also has the potential to decrease the abundance of ecologically important species such as parrot-fish and other herbivorous fishes that keep seaweeds and macro-algae from overgrowing corals.*The Lionfish's adaptability to the mangrove and seagrass beds that provide sanctuary to juvenile reef fish will, scientists say, make it difficult to eradicate.
The Lionfish is a member of the Scorpion fish family and is originally from the ice cold waters of the Indo-Pacific Ocean and the Red Sea and is not native to the warm water of the Caribbean. First identified several years ago, it has been speculated that it's introduction may have occurred when Hurricane Andrew destroyed an aquarium in Florida in 1992, or released as abandoned pets No one knows for sure? The sizes likely to be seen vary, but in the Caribbean, they grow up to 55 cm (approximately 2 feet) in length.
Usually, Lionfish are not aggressive towards humans. They hide during the day under rock and coral and are easily approached as they move very slowly and can be viewed at a close distance. They have venomous spines that are used purely for defense. It should be noted that while their stings are not likely to be fatal, they are very painful. Lionfish are voracious predators and one Lionfish may eat more than 30,000 juvenile fish per year. Females can lay up to eight thousand eggs at one time.
The Lionfish is not only edible but is also a tasty fish. The creation of a market for the consumption of the fish is being encouraged in an effort to control their population. If left unchecked this species will result in serious environmental and economic damage to Jamaica’s already degraded fisheries.
I wouldn't brush off the danger too quickly, but I also wouldn't cancel my vacation plans, either. As stated above, don't touch them, and you'll be fine.
lionfish aren't as bad as sharks! lol
Biggs, I get your point . . .
but the difference between sharks and lionfish is that sharks evolved naturally as part of the Caribean ecosphere, that is not the case with lionfish and the lionfish are negatively impacting the health of Caribean reefs, which essentially means the entire Caribean ecosystem.
I'd probably soil my swimsuit if I saw a shark (other than a nurse shark) while I was swimming but I wouldn't advocate their wholesale slaughter.
Lionfish on the other hand should be eradicated from the entire Atlantic, because they're an invasive species.
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