Angry Wolf Eel at Day Island Wall

Tell us your tale of coming nose-to-nose with a 6 gill [--this big--], or about your vacation to turquoise warm waters. Share your adventures here!
User avatar
psundquist
Avid Diver
Posts: 93
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 8:10 pm

Angry Wolf Eel at Day Island Wall

Post by psundquist »

I was shooting video of the large wolf eel at Day Island Wall yesterday when my buddy was opening and closing his hand, teasing the wolf eel that he had some food for him. Next thing I knew I was watching the eel come out of his hole completely, buzz right by me, and took a couple of snaps at my buddy. Instinctively I saw he wasn't coming for me so I kept on shooting the video. I am disappointed I didn't think of getting any video of my buddy feeling his nose through his mask after the encountered to make sure it was still attached. Here is the video:
[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/12705635[/vimeo]
User avatar
CaptnJack
I've Got Gills
Posts: 7776
Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2006 2:29 pm

Re: Angry Wolf Eel at Day Island Wall

Post by CaptnJack »

I don't think wolf eels do "angry" or "sad," although I'd buy "disappointed" your friend didn't actually have food in the hand he was luring him with. And that he didn't get any good nose either.
Sounder wrote:Under normal circumstances, I would never tell another man how to shave his balls... but this device should not be kept secret.
User avatar
ljjames
I've Got Gills
Posts: 2725
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2007 9:46 pm

Re: Angry Wolf Eel at Day Island Wall

Post by ljjames »

nose looks like hot-dog to wolf eel vision ;)

excellent little vid capturing the moment!

LOLOLOLOLLOLOLOL! I'm sure i woulda needed my she-p were i the diver in the nose seat.
----
"I survived the Brittandrea Dorikulla, where's my T-shirt!"
User avatar
renoun
I've Got Gills
Posts: 1512
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2008 3:43 pm

Re: Angry Wolf Eel at Day Island Wall

Post by renoun »

Have you suggested that your friend get some white dry gloves? I hear that that can lead to interesting wolf eel encounters.
"Just to be clear, doing the Diamond Knot requires at the minimum double IPAs to be DIR." - MattleyCrue
"Mmmm....... Oreos!
They didn't look too good when I was spitting in my mask for dive #2!" - cardiver
User avatar
dieseldude
Extreme Diving Machine
Posts: 489
Joined: Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:12 am

Re: Angry Wolf Eel at Day Island Wall

Post by dieseldude »

Kinda proves the theory that feeding the marine life can be hazardous. I had one come after me & nip at my bubbles & didnt even lure it. Kind of looks like what is going on here. maybe we all need rebreaters? Hmmmm.....
MJ
" What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger"
User avatar
LCF
I've Got Gills
Posts: 5697
Joined: Tue May 30, 2006 5:05 pm

Re: Angry Wolf Eel at Day Island Wall

Post by LCF »

Yeah, Peter's buddies really enjoyed the one trying to eat his white-gloved fingers. Peter, not so much . . .
"Sometimes, when your world is going sideways, the second best thing to everything working out right, is knowing you are loved..." ljjames
User avatar
Grateful Diver
I've Got Gills
Posts: 5322
Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 7:52 pm

Re: Angry Wolf Eel at Day Island Wall

Post by Grateful Diver »

Excellent video of why you shouldn't feed wolf-eels ... because they come to associate divers with food and ... being wild animals ... will do unpredictable things when they think there's food available.

Yeah, everybody thinks they're cute and cuddly ... people used to think the same thing about the grizzly bears at Yellowstone too, until the behavior of the animals resulted in damage to humans and, sadly, death to the animals.

They aren't pets. If you want to feed an animal ... get a dog.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Threats and ultimatums are never the best answer. Public humiliation via Photoshop is always better - airsix

Come visit me at http://www.nwgratefuldiver.com/
User avatar
dwashbur
I've Got Gills
Posts: 2849
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2008 9:33 pm

Re: Angry Wolf Eel at Day Island Wall

Post by dwashbur »

CaptnJack wrote:I don't think wolf eels do "angry" or "sad," although I'd buy "disappointed" your friend didn't actually have food in the hand he was luring him with. And that he didn't get any good nose either.
Idunno, that looks pretty angry-aggressive to me.
Dave

"Clearly, you weren't listening to what I'm about to say."
--
Check out my Internet show:
http://www.irvingszoo.com
User avatar
psundquist
Avid Diver
Posts: 93
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 8:10 pm

Re: Angry Wolf Eel at Day Island Wall

Post by psundquist »

It was a reversal of fish behavior last night, the cabezon were plentiful but there were no unprevocated attacks from those angry fish - or are the angry cabezons only at Edmonds?

As a rule, I don't mess around with or tease any wild life above or under the water - which is a good rule to follow as seen in the video of the unpredicatable behavior.
User avatar
LCF
I've Got Gills
Posts: 5697
Joined: Tue May 30, 2006 5:05 pm

Re: Angry Wolf Eel at Day Island Wall

Post by LCF »

Cabbies are generally only aggressive when sitting on eggs, which they do in late winter. The rest of the year, they're pretty mellow.
"Sometimes, when your world is going sideways, the second best thing to everything working out right, is knowing you are loved..." ljjames
User avatar
Grateful Diver
I've Got Gills
Posts: 5322
Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 7:52 pm

Re: Angry Wolf Eel at Day Island Wall

Post by Grateful Diver »

Fish should not be given human emotions. There is no evidence that fish get "angry" ... or feel much in the way of emotions at all. It's all about survival.

The wolf eel has been conditioned by humans who have been feeding it. It's acting out of a conditioned response ... "wild" wolf eels don't behave that way. They might, on occasion, approach a diver out of curiosity ... because they don't feel particularly threatened by us ... but the only ones I've ever seen attempt to nip at a diver's hands or gear are in areas where divers chronically feed them. They're not angry ... they're hungry.

The cabezons will only "attack" a diver during the time when they're guarding their eggs. Otherwise, cabbies are pretty passive ... when they're not on eggs they won't react to your presence at all except, perhaps, to swim away. But they are quite protective of their eggs ... rightfully so, since otherwise the other fish will quickly turn them into breakfast. So during the winter, when they're raising their family, they're very protective of the area around the nest. Get too close, and they'll let you know about it. They're not angry ... they're simply doing what millenia of evolution have conditioned them to do in order to survive as a species.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Threats and ultimatums are never the best answer. Public humiliation via Photoshop is always better - airsix

Come visit me at http://www.nwgratefuldiver.com/
User avatar
dwashbur
I've Got Gills
Posts: 2849
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2008 9:33 pm

Re: Angry Wolf Eel at Day Island Wall

Post by dwashbur »

Truth be told, we don't have a clue what they do or don't feel, so I see no need to be pedantic about it. But whatever, I'm not going to get into this with you.
Dave

"Clearly, you weren't listening to what I'm about to say."
--
Check out my Internet show:
http://www.irvingszoo.com
User avatar
Grateful Diver
I've Got Gills
Posts: 5322
Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 7:52 pm

Re: Angry Wolf Eel at Day Island Wall

Post by Grateful Diver »

dwashbur wrote:Truth be told, we don't have a clue what they do or don't feel, so I see no need to be pedantic about it. But whatever, I'm not going to get into this with you.
We have decades of "clues" that feeding wild animals alters their behavior ... not usually to the benefit of the animal.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Threats and ultimatums are never the best answer. Public humiliation via Photoshop is always better - airsix

Come visit me at http://www.nwgratefuldiver.com/
User avatar
dwashbur
I've Got Gills
Posts: 2849
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2008 9:33 pm

Re: Angry Wolf Eel at Day Island Wall

Post by dwashbur »

Grateful Diver wrote:
dwashbur wrote:Truth be told, we don't have a clue what they do or don't feel, so I see no need to be pedantic about it. But whatever, I'm not going to get into this with you.
We have decades of "clues" that feeding wild animals alters their behavior ... not usually to the benefit of the animal.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
I never said otherwise.
Dave

"Clearly, you weren't listening to what I'm about to say."
--
Check out my Internet show:
http://www.irvingszoo.com
User avatar
wenatchee
Avid Diver
Posts: 58
Joined: Sun Sep 20, 2009 7:34 am

Re: Angry Wolf Eel at Day Island Wall

Post by wenatchee »

I had a Cabezon head-butting me in the back last summer at Edmonds UWP. I was cruising by the Tuning Fork area and I felt a rap on my back below my BC on my right side. I turned expected to see my buddy a little ticked at me for some reason. All I saw was a blur of a fish dart to the left. I kept cruising. Then...same rap on my back on the left side. this time I saw the fish clearly when I turned to look. It then darted to the right and head butted me one more time as I cruised away.

The next day my buddy had one do the same thing.
User avatar
Old Nubbins
Aquaphile
Posts: 115
Joined: Sun Jan 31, 2010 4:38 am

Re: Angry Wolf Eel at Day Island Wall

Post by Old Nubbins »

I don't believe we (as in the entire human race) can ever difinitively say how or if a fish 'feels'. Our empathetic nature may lead us to anthropomorphize while our quest for scientific knowledge may pigeonhole everything to fit our own sense of reality. What we perceive as anger in humans could be an actual state felt by fish, although since we are unable to communicate with then, we will never know.

Some people have said dogs do not feel guilt. The reaction owners see (and interpret as guilt) is actually the dogs reation to the owners behavior. I disagree, especially when if my dog has done something he should not have, he will run to his kennel before I even get close to finding out what he has done (i.e. as soon as I walk in the door - he's in his kennel before he sees me)
User avatar
mz53480
I've Got Gills
Posts: 2465
Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2008 1:16 pm

Re: Angry Wolf Eel at Day Island Wall

Post by mz53480 »

Old Nubbins wrote:...he will run to his kennel before I even get close to finding out what he has done (i.e. as soon as I walk in the door - he's in his kennel before he sees me)
WASP7000 does the same thing after he jacks up my gear I let him use....
...I like going to the chamber.. They have great food there, and awsome live music "H20doctor"
Check out the VIDEOS!
User avatar
Old Nubbins
Aquaphile
Posts: 115
Joined: Sun Jan 31, 2010 4:38 am

Re: Angry Wolf Eel at Day Island Wall

Post by Old Nubbins »

:rofl:
User avatar
H20doctor
I've Got Gills
Posts: 4225
Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2008 12:13 pm

Re: Angry Wolf Eel at Day Island Wall

Post by H20doctor »

Yep he was looking for an Underwater treat .... Wolfie snacks , Kinda like scoobie snacks , only better .. I have heard of a very tame wolfie at Day Is. , who loves to be fed and played with ...
NWDC Rule #2 Pictures Or it didn't Happen
User avatar
Highliner
Avid Diver
Posts: 57
Joined: Sun Aug 16, 2009 5:31 pm

Re: Angry Wolf Eel at Day Island Wall

Post by Highliner »

Great clip! Not only a good predator, but a good judge of character as well...LOL
User avatar
Joshua Smith
I've Got Gills
Posts: 10242
Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:32 pm

Re: Angry Wolf Eel at Day Island Wall

Post by Joshua Smith »

That looked more like "defending my turf" than "looking for a snack" to me.





Oh, and clearly, the wolfie in the video was cranky because he thought his BFF (Best Fish Friend,duh!)was ignoring him, and then he felt sad because he worried that maybe he was too fat, and he had some anxiety issues due to his mother paying more attention to his female siblings, but then he saw some stupid scuba divers in his front yard, and he felt like being alone with his shame and grief, so he lashed out....it's a rich tapestry of emotions, people.
Maritime Documentation Society

"To venture into the terrible loneliness, one must have something greater than greed. Love. One needs love for life, for intrigue, for mystery."
User avatar
Penopolypants
NWDC Moderator
NWDC Moderator
Posts: 3906
Joined: Sun Jan 07, 2007 7:37 pm

Re: Angry Wolf Eel at Day Island Wall

Post by Penopolypants »

Image
Come to the nerd side, we have pi!
User avatar
Pez7378
I've Got Gills
Posts: 3256
Joined: Wed Jun 21, 2006 11:09 am

Re: Angry Wolf Eel at Day Island Wall

Post by Pez7378 »

Penopolypants wrote:Image
Cute!
User avatar
spatman
I've Got Gills
Posts: 10881
Joined: Wed May 30, 2007 7:06 am

Re: Angry Wolf Eel at Day Island Wall

Post by spatman »

Penopolypants wrote:Image
i'm laughing, but that's just wrong.
Image
User avatar
Joshua Smith
I've Got Gills
Posts: 10242
Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:32 pm

Re: Angry Wolf Eel at Day Island Wall

Post by Joshua Smith »

Penopolypants wrote:Image

I think I sprained something new laughing at that. Is Mrs Emo Wolfie back in the cave cutting herself in the bathroom while she purges her last meal?
Maritime Documentation Society

"To venture into the terrible loneliness, one must have something greater than greed. Love. One needs love for life, for intrigue, for mystery."
Post Reply