Marine Life – Potentially Harmful

Photos of those denizens of the deep with a bad reputation. All in their natural habitat - no aquarium photos.

Potentially Hazardous Marine Life of Florida and the Caribbean

  • Stonefish on reef2
    Stonefish are dangerous because they blend in with the bottom
    Stonefish coloring with artifical light

    Stonefish closeup shows a face only a mother could love!
    Fire Coral
  • Fire Coral 2
    Fire Coral closeup shows what stings
    Untitled-1
    Stinging hydroids on a night dive
    Spiny Sea Urchin
  • Bristle Worm
    Jellyfish that sting come in many shapes and sizes
    Jellyfish
    Moray, Spotted
    Butterfly RayJuly 1982
  • To avoid stepping on a sting ray shuffle your feet (called the Stingray Shuffle) when you walk
    Stingray off Hollywood Beach
    Stingray glides off into the murky water
    A stingray glides off into the night
    Jellyfish tend to be between divers and the surface
  • Moray Eel bites come from sticking hands in holes and tryiung to hand feed morays
    Barracuda
    Moray, Green
    Fire Coral macro closeup showing nemacycts
    Barracuda off Hollywood Beach
  • Barracuda in the Florida Keys.jpp
    Barracuda swims off into the sunset
    Nurse Sharks are often accused of 'attacking' swimmers who pester them
    Nurse Shark under ledge
    Nurse Shark
  • This Nurse Shark was photographed off Bimini in 1984
    tiger
    Reef Shark attracted by spearfishing at 110 feet off Belize
    Bull Shark checks out the divers
    Blue Shark
  • An inquisitive Blue Shark gets a snout rap 1975
    This photo from 1975 shows a Blue Shark reacting to a diver splashing on the surface
    Red Lionfish by Petr Kratochvil