00:00The hidden venom in American waters look but don't touch. American waters hide
00:06more venom than people expect. Not monsters. Small things. Beautiful things.
00:13Easy to miss things. Lionfish carry venomous spines and now live across
00:19parts of the southeastern US coast, the Gulf and the Caribbean. Stingrays usually
00:25avoid people but a step in shallow water can trigger a defensive tail strike.
00:30Portuguese man-of-war tentacles can still sting even after washing onto the beach.
00:36Jellyfish can leave painful welts and some species can cause serious reactions. Sea urchins hide sharp
00:44spines on rocks and reefs. Cone snails look collectible but some relatives use venom to
00:51disable prey. Fire coral is not true coral but it can burn skin with stinging cells.
00:58Even some fish, like scorpion fish and certain catfish, use venomous spines as defense.
01:04The important correction is this. Poisonous and venomous are not the same. Poison hurts you when
01:12you eat or touch it. Venom is injected through a sting, spine, bite or barb. Most dangerous marine
01:20encounters happen because people step, grab, collect or touch something they do not recognize.
01:26The safest rule is simple. Look, but do not handle. Shuffle your feet in stingray areas. Wear water
01:35shoes on rocky shores. Obey beach warnings. The ocean does not have to attack you. It only has to be
01:43touched the wrong way.
Comments