NAUI Master Scuba Diver 60 The Diving Environment The timber rattlesnake is an excellent swimmer on the surface. Skin divers should be alert and avoid contact. First aid for venomous snake bites includes: • Keep the victim quiet, and take measures to combat shock. • Wash the wound and immobilize the injured area, keeping it lower than the heart, if possible. • Get immediate medical attention. Antivenin treatment will probably be required. Turtles Three species of aquatic turtles may be hazardous to the diver if provoked and mishandled, especially if large specimens. Though not venomous, they may inflict a serious, dirty wound. The alligator snapping turtle found through the watershed of the Mississippi River, is vicious and aggressive when provoked. It has powerful jaws and sharp claws. The alligator snapper is recognized by three, distinct, keel-like lines running longitudinally the full length of the upper shell. There are also wart-like projections about the head and forelimbs. The neck of the alligator snapper is extremely long and muscular, and it can strike rapidly by extending the neck. The common snapper is smaller and similar in appearance to the alligator snapper. This species is considered by some authorities to be more vicious when provoked than the alligator snapper. The softshell turtle may also inflict a serious wound, and has a particularly long neck, enabling it to bite at unexpected distances. Contact with these turtles should be avoided or special precautions taken in handling, such as using long-handled nets only. Standard first aid for laceration type wounds is recommended. Tetanus immunization is recommended. Alligators and Crocodiles The American alligator has been encountered by divers, and has shown aggressive behavior and caused injury to swimmers. The potential of injury and even death is present, especially in nesting animals, and divers should be cautious. In Central and South America, the crocodile may certainly constitute a hazard to divers and, in Africa, the crocodile is responsible for many human deaths each year. The saltwater crocodile of the coast of Queensland, Australia, is very large (up to 9 m 30 ft) and reported to be a vicious aggressor. Mammals The common muskrat may be one of the few warm-blooded animals that might attack a diver in the fresh waters of the U.S. It attacks only in defense and the wound is usually minor. However, the possibility of rabies is present and serious. It is important for the diver to seek medical advice if bitten and for the animal to be captured or killed for laboratory examination. If encountered while diving, the muskrat should not be provoked. If it is provoked into attack, escape by a diver is virtually impossible. Fishes The only freshwater fishes of noted hazard to divers are the freshwater sharks of Lake Nicaragua in Central America and the piranha fish of the Orient and South America. In U.S. waters, the only fish capable of inflicting serious injury are those of the catfish family, the gar, and possibly muskellunge. The gar fish commonly weighs in excess of 45 kg (100 pounds), and if provoked by spear fishermen, has the capability of inflicting wounds with needle-sharp teeth. This review has concentrated on the freshwater life hazards of the U.S. Certainly, it is only common sense for the diver to consult with local authorities prior to diving in other parts of the world. CONSERVATION Divers are generally conservation-minded and understand the importance of maintaining a clean, unspoiled underwater environment. The underwater environment is a complex system where a wide variety of physical, chemical, and biological factors interact to keep in balance. Divers are visitors to this community, and we
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