I’m sure almost each and every diver has chanced upon this toothy character of the deep at some point or another. Often unintentionally encountering the moray’s alien like jaws inches away from you while passing over some innocent looking corral.

Whenever I used to catch glimpse of this seemingly vicious, ill-tempered creature lurking in the reef, I stay clear giving it as much of a wide berth as possible. I can’t really say what exactly it is about the moray eel that makes so many divers react the way I do, there are just so many intimidating qualities.

I guess the moray eels gaping jaws and sharp teeth are the first thing that grabs your attention. They possess sharp backward pointing teeth designed for tearing flesh, and a second set of jaws inside their throats, also armed with teeth, meant for capturing or restraining their prey.

What also makes the moray seem more intimidating is the fact that we never see the entire length of the eel as it lays hidden in a crevice with only its head sticking out. This creates the doubt in the diver’s mind, as to how long it really is, and the fear of it possibly springing out to attack.

Typically moray eels are around 1.5 meters (5 ft) long (almost the size of a person). But some moray species grow up to 4 meters (13ft) long, i.e. twice the size of an adult human male.

Morays seldom deliberately attack divers; they are secretive and shy creatures that would rather avoid humans and swim for cover than confront one. Most instances of moray related attacks have almost always been in self-defense, when a diver unwittingly grabs on to a rocky outcrop that happens to be the home of a moray eel or if a diver has been trying to feed the moray.

Moray eels have poor vision and poor hearing, so they rely heavily on smell to locate prey which mainly consists of small fish and crustaceans.  They are often found amongst coral reefs and lurking in crevices at the sea floor. It’s very rare to see one swimming free from one crevice to another during the day, as they are predominantly nocturnal creatures.

The other intimidating and fascinating feature of the moray is the sheer varieties color you see them in. There are over 200 species of the moray eel, and they range in several different colors, some subdued and camouflaged, others bright and showy making them one of the most recognizable creatures on the reef.

Despite its menacing qualities, the moray eel is a truly fascinating creature which is often misunderstood and unjustly reputed as a ‘dangerous’ creature. Having said that; I still dive rather carefully whenever I catch sight of a moray, and will often still try and circumvent its ill-tempered glare and admire its beauty from afar.

Photos: richard ling, jon hanson, doug.deep, alfonsator