A tale fo my UK friends about nasty bighties

[William_H]

I have found that most UK people will be well aware of all the bighties that can kill you in Oz. Thanks to documentaries. Well this morning being glorious spring weather 32 max wife and I went for a swim in the Swan river just near home. me to wipe over the boat bottom and wife to swim a few laps. I had finished and was heading to shore when she tells me she has found a snorkel. We get lots of divers here and they often lose stuff. Good thinks I another add to the collection. She prodded me with it and I took it leaving her to do some more laps. I looked in the transparent mouth piece valve area and saw something moving. Thought it was tiny crab. Then looked again. It was a blue ringed octopus. Body about 1cm across tentacles perhaps 2 cms long. As I carried it into shore he climbed out the top of the snorkel and headed towards my hand. (slowly) He was despatched on the footpath then the rubbish bin. Wife wouldn't let me keep the snorkel. Seemed to think it was contaminated.
These little creatures are very deadly. One can imagine what would happen if one breathed through the snorkel. It had been there perhaps a few days with a bit of barnacle beginning to grow. It is the first time I have seen a live one so pretty rare. Just thought you would love this tale to justify staying in your safe winter retreat. ol'will

 

[Aeolus]

And just made rarer, thanks to your act of destruction. Seriously, what gives you the right to destroy another living thing for no reason?

 

[Elessar]

And just made rarer, thanks to your act of destruction. Seriously, what gives you the right to destroy another living thing for no reason?

Vegan warrior are we? He did the right thing.

 

[Elessar]

I have found that most UK people will be well aware of all the bighties that can kill you in Oz. Thanks to documentaries. Well this morning being glorious spring weather 32 max wife and I went for a swim in the Swan river just near home. me to wipe over the boat bottom and wife to swim a few laps. I had finished and was heading to shore when she tells me she has found a snorkel. We get lots of divers here and they often lose stuff. Good thinks I another add to the collection. She prodded me with it and I took it leaving her to do some more laps. I looked in the transparent mouth piece valve area and saw something moving. Thought it was tiny crab. Then looked again. It was a blue ringed octopus. Body about 1cm across tentacles perhaps 2 cms long. As I carried it into shore he climbed out the top of the snorkel and headed towards my hand. (slowly) He was despatched on the footpath then the rubbish bin. Wife wouldn't let me keep the snorkel. Seemed to think it was contaminated.
These little creatures are very deadly. One can imagine what would happen if one breathed through the snorkel. It had been there perhaps a few days with a bit of barnacle beginning to grow. It is the first time I have seen a live one so pretty rare. Just thought you would love this tale to justify staying in your safe winter retreat. ol'will

we don't have so many deadlies but a spider on the isle of wight did this to me last year. Kept me off the boat for 6 months.

oh well you are spared the pic, upload failed as usual I hate the pictures on this site. It would have put you off your breakfast anyhow.

 

[Lon nan Gruagach]

Its the cold weather (climate) that keeps our bighties small and innocuous. Another doomsday tabloid headline prediction for MMGW: Blighty Bighties Bigger

 

[Aeolus]

"Vegan warrior are we? He did the right thing."

Let me get this right - if you encounter something in the environment that might pose a risk, then you think it's OK to destroy it.

So...all sharks should be killed, ditto all poisonous/constrictor snakes, all crocodiles, large cats.....

Have you ever thought of sharing 'your' planet with other creatures?

 

[steve1963]

Vegan warrior are we? He did the right thing.

What a stupid thing to say. Why do you have to be a 'Vegan Warrior' (whatever that is) to be against the wanton killing of a rare species?

 

[Heckler]

"Vegan warrior are we? He did the right thing."

Let me get this right - if you encounter something in the environment that might pose a risk, then you think it's OK to destroy it.

So...all sharks should be killed, ditto all poisonous/constrictor snakes, all crocodiles, large cats.....

Have you ever thought of sharing 'your' planet with other creatures?

Better to take your argumentative manner to the Lounge?

 

[rogerthebodger]

But you can see the blue ring octopus as small as it is, but you cannot see then Irukandji and its a deadly.

 

[dom]

But you can see the blue ring octopus as small as it is, but you cannot see then Irukandji and its a deadly.

I had to google that. Nasty little blighter !!

 

[Heckler]

I had to google that. Nasty little blighter !!

Indeed! Some of these peeps passing judgment on others, apart from their rude way of doing it, need to go see other places and cultures and perhaps understand how indigenous people feel about serious life threatening beasties! The African people I worked with werent too find of “cobras” They had seen too many of their friends and relatives killed or seriously injured by them to tolerate them in close proximity to them! Likewise Indians I worked with werent too find of tigers either!

 

[zoidberg]

The most venomous killer in this region typically has a hard cranial carapace, brown or black, a bright red dorsal covering ( occasionally moulted for a larger one )..... and brown leather riding boots.

 

[JumbleDuck]

And just made rarer, thanks to your act of destruction. Seriously, what gives you the right to destroy another living thing for no reason?

Is sir a vegetarian?

 

[JumbleDuck]

What a stupid thing to say. Why do you have to be a 'Vegan Warrior' (whatever that is) to be against the wanton killing of a rare species?

The blue ringed octopus may be unusual where the OP lives and in that sense "rare", but it is not endangered.

http://legacy.earlham.edu/~sheedjo/blue-ringedoctopus.htm

 

[Dan Tribe]

"Vegan warrior are we? He did the right thing."

Let me get this right - if you encounter something in the environment that might pose a risk, then you think it's OK to destroy it.

So...all sharks should be killed, ditto all poisonous/constrictor snakes, all crocodiles, large cats.....

Have you ever thought of sharing 'your' planet with other creatures?

Where do you draw the line?
Should we protect rats, mice, locusts and mosquitos etc.?

 

[Elessar]

Where do you draw the line?
Should we protect rats, mice, locusts and mosquitos etc.?

a good and fair question.

That requires scientific not emotive debate.

If locusts have no positive benefits for example, then yes, begone.

 

[rogerthebodger]

a good and fair question.

That requires scientific not emotive debate.

If locusts have no positive benefits for example, then yes, begone.

Locusts are a very good source of protein, lightly fried in garlic butter.

As are Mopane worms.

 

[Ohlin Karcher]

Is sir a vegetarian?

:encouragement:

 

[johnalison]

Indeed! Some of these peeps passing judgment on others, apart from their rude way of doing it, need to go see other places and cultures and perhaps understand how indigenous people feel about serious life threatening beasties! The African people I worked with werent too find of “cobras” They had seen too many of their friends and relatives killed or seriously injured by them to tolerate them in close proximity to them! Likewise Indians I worked with werent too find of tigers either!

Somewhere in SE Asia they disposed of all the cobras in the area. The result was a plague of rats and food shortage. Many nasty creatures have their place in nature and I don't suppose that delinquent octopuses are any different. Maybe the place would be overrun with starfish or something even less desirable. On the other hand, disposing of such an animal that has alarmed you is no different from my reluctance to return wasps to the wild, even though I understand that they are important to the health of the land.

 

[Daydream believer]

The most venomous killer in this region typically has a hard cranial carapace, brown or black, a bright red dorsal covering ( occasionally moulted for a larger one )..... and brown leather riding boots.

In these parts, he would be doing us a favour if he had a pack of bloodhounds & they were allowed to do what they were trained to do- Clear the area of vermin.