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Chapter 2- The Diving Environment The Diving Environment site. The victim may experience dizziness, weakness, cardiac arrhythmias, anxiety, sweating, muscle weakness, cramps, nausea, and vomiting. This may be followed by primary shock, coma, and death (rare). To treat victims of fish envenomation, first remove them from the water and immobilize the affected limbs. They may be in great pain, so reassure them. Place a wounded limb into hot, but not boiling, water. The ideal temperature is somewhere around 50°C (120°F). As stated previously, all marine venoms are heat-labile, high-molecular weight proteins. Relieve pain and transfer the patient to a hospital for further management. Another group of venomous marine animals are the sea snakes of the family, Hydrophiidae, which are all venomous (figure 2-28). Aquatic inhabitants of the tropical Pacific and Indian Ocean, these reptiles have bodies that are more or less compressed posteriorly, with paddle-shaped tails. Sea snake bites are often inconspicuous, sometimes painless and without swelling. Symptoms usually begin mildly and become progressively worse. The victim may experience a mild anxiety, drowsiness, or even euphoria. Swallowing may become difficult as the patient’s tongue swells. Muscle weakness may progress to a frank paralysis. Even though there are antivenins, they may not be readily available. However, many consider the sea snake as a docile animal that is reluctant to bite, but one must remember that they are all poisonous relatives of the cobra family, and potentially lethal. Divers should always give them full and thorough respect. In other words, keep clear of them. PREDATORS This section will deal with those animals that bite and are aggressive specifically against humans. Fortunately, this is an extremely small group and these are animals that in general can be avoided. We cannot include everything that is known about predators in this chapter. Read more in this area, and become an informed diver. Essentially there are seven principle predators found in the marine environment: barracuda, moray eels (fig- 57 FIGURE 2-26. LIONFISH FIGURE 2-27. STONEFISH FIGURE 2-28. SEA SNAKE


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