Diver Shares A Magical Bond With Spotted Moray Eel

When famed Australian diver and ocean conservationist, Valerie Taylor first located the home of a spotted moray eel near Banda Island, Indonesia, she tried to befriend the eel by offering fish. The eel instinctively hid after seeing the human approach. However, Taylor was persistent and tried a few more times over the course of several years, but to no avail.

One day, the eel came out and slithered around Taylor, accepting her piscine offering. It didn’t just come to receive the treat, it also swam around her and let Taylor pet it. Ever since, the six-foot long, brown-spotted eel, which Taylor named "Honey”, seemed to recognize and approach her, and Taylor believes that it enjoy being held and scratched.

Taylor managed to befriend this spotted creature and when the eel sees Taylor coming, even after years, the eel comes out across the sand and swims over to her. The eel grew less shy as it became accustomed to Taylor. They also tend to be curious animals, and like to "check things out," which is what appears to be happening in this video.

Although eels aren’t generally aggressive unless their territory is invaded, feeding eels is not a good idea. That’s because moray eels have razor-sharp teeth, and not the best eyesight. They also possess a second set of jaws that normally lingers in the animal’s gullet, but when feeding can project forward and pull food inward, like something out of the movie Alien.Occasionally, feeding a wild moray eel has resulted in accidents, such as one case where a man got his thumb bitten off by a moray.

Credit to 'Central Florida Aquarium Society'.