Sloeber
01/11/2011, 12:37 PM
Dear Lord this is awful.
So I'm diving in Utila, about 105 feet down when I spot a huge barrel sponge with 4 lionfish on it. Out comes the DiveMasters spear, but I ask (through hand signals) if I may try my hand at it. Marlo hands me her Hawaiian Sling. For those unfamilar, here is a photo of one:
http://www.bluewaterhunter.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/media/biller_hi_shaftsonly.jpg
In a nutshell you take the elastic cord and put it in the base of your thumb/pointer finger, then grab the shaft of the spear midway up. Releasing the shaft sends the spear shooting forward a few feet thanks to the spring of the elastic band.
Anyway, first attempt was failure. They may sit still most the day, but they can move quick when they want! Retrieve, reload, aim, and BAM! direct hit through the skull. Officially, I'm now a proud Lionfish Hunter of the Caribbean. But wait, 3 more exist on the same coral head. I attempt to remove the Lionfish (carefully) but fail (the shaft has barbs so the fish can't remove themselves and swim off). No problem, I'll just stack the lionfish up on the shaft. Should make a killer underwater photo with 4 lions strung up a spear.
Attempt 3 was again a near miss. So I go in to retrieve the spear and BAM I'm nailed. I knew what happened instantly, but overall wasn't in much pain. Just felt like a needle stuck me. No biggie. The DM panics (really, really cute chick that I may have been showing off for LOL) and tells me to go up. Nah... this ain't so bad. I begin squeezing my finger attempting to push out as much venom as possible. For the record, blood at 105 feet looks freaky cool - inky black. Sweet, I just made this into a shark dive!
I'm intent on killing the other lions after a brief conversation underwater with the DM (on a slate tablet). But ever so slowly the pain starts setting in. Not but 5 minutes later I'm headed up to the boat. Migraine has set in, and nausea soon follows. I don't much feel like vomitting into my regulator, so I surface.
On board the boat, the pain really starts taking shape. I got nailed in the tip of my pointer finger, and before long it has worked its way up the finger, spread across all knuckles, and working down the other fingers and up my hand.
If I could put it to words it'd be like holding a match to your finger while someone grinds a needle into every joint socket. It's the worst pain I've ever felt. The bike accident was likely more painful, but I was also nearly unconscious. Plus now I'm leaning overboard loosing breakfast.
The boat ride back was roughly 45 minutes. That SUCKED.
Back at the resort I track down boiling water as quickly as I can. In the hand goes. I don't know if it was the scalding water overtaking the other pain, but literally 3 seconds later my hand feels 50% better. 1 minute and its 80% better. Now an hour later and it feels like I severaly jammed my finger. The swelling makes my pointer finger look like a thumb.
After 30 years of aquariums, many of which I kept or helped with lionfish, I was never stung. Never would have guessed it'd happening while diving - in the Caribbean no less. I don't intend on this ever happening again. Ha. Don't play with venomous fish kids!
So I'm diving in Utila, about 105 feet down when I spot a huge barrel sponge with 4 lionfish on it. Out comes the DiveMasters spear, but I ask (through hand signals) if I may try my hand at it. Marlo hands me her Hawaiian Sling. For those unfamilar, here is a photo of one:
http://www.bluewaterhunter.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/media/biller_hi_shaftsonly.jpg
In a nutshell you take the elastic cord and put it in the base of your thumb/pointer finger, then grab the shaft of the spear midway up. Releasing the shaft sends the spear shooting forward a few feet thanks to the spring of the elastic band.
Anyway, first attempt was failure. They may sit still most the day, but they can move quick when they want! Retrieve, reload, aim, and BAM! direct hit through the skull. Officially, I'm now a proud Lionfish Hunter of the Caribbean. But wait, 3 more exist on the same coral head. I attempt to remove the Lionfish (carefully) but fail (the shaft has barbs so the fish can't remove themselves and swim off). No problem, I'll just stack the lionfish up on the shaft. Should make a killer underwater photo with 4 lions strung up a spear.
Attempt 3 was again a near miss. So I go in to retrieve the spear and BAM I'm nailed. I knew what happened instantly, but overall wasn't in much pain. Just felt like a needle stuck me. No biggie. The DM panics (really, really cute chick that I may have been showing off for LOL) and tells me to go up. Nah... this ain't so bad. I begin squeezing my finger attempting to push out as much venom as possible. For the record, blood at 105 feet looks freaky cool - inky black. Sweet, I just made this into a shark dive!
I'm intent on killing the other lions after a brief conversation underwater with the DM (on a slate tablet). But ever so slowly the pain starts setting in. Not but 5 minutes later I'm headed up to the boat. Migraine has set in, and nausea soon follows. I don't much feel like vomitting into my regulator, so I surface.
On board the boat, the pain really starts taking shape. I got nailed in the tip of my pointer finger, and before long it has worked its way up the finger, spread across all knuckles, and working down the other fingers and up my hand.
If I could put it to words it'd be like holding a match to your finger while someone grinds a needle into every joint socket. It's the worst pain I've ever felt. The bike accident was likely more painful, but I was also nearly unconscious. Plus now I'm leaning overboard loosing breakfast.
The boat ride back was roughly 45 minutes. That SUCKED.
Back at the resort I track down boiling water as quickly as I can. In the hand goes. I don't know if it was the scalding water overtaking the other pain, but literally 3 seconds later my hand feels 50% better. 1 minute and its 80% better. Now an hour later and it feels like I severaly jammed my finger. The swelling makes my pointer finger look like a thumb.
After 30 years of aquariums, many of which I kept or helped with lionfish, I was never stung. Never would have guessed it'd happening while diving - in the Caribbean no less. I don't intend on this ever happening again. Ha. Don't play with venomous fish kids!