Here are the top 14 dangerous and some even poisonous creatures in the ocean it's terrifying to think they are under there waiting!!
7. Megalodon Megalodon is an extinct species of shark that lived millions of years ago. They were a lot like the great white sharks of today only much bigger. While great whites can reach a length of 20 feet, Megalodon’s could reportedly reach a ridiculous length of nearly 60 feet. Their teeth have been found across the globe from Australia to Japan and as far north as England and Denmark.
6. Killer Whales Being an apex predator means you have no natural predators. Essentially these are the animals at the top of the food chain. Killer, or Orca, whales are considered apex predators and have been known to kill great white sharks, leopard seals, and even other whales. Like wolves, they have a tendency to hunt in packs. Wild orcas don't pose any threat to humans, but there have been incidents in which captive orcas have killed or seriously injured their handlers at marine theme parks. These events highlight the fact that people should probably stop keeping killer whales in captivity rather than any indication that orcas are potentially dangerous to humans.
5. Stingrays Stingrays are usually very passive and gentle around human beings. But if they feel vulnerable in any way they have barbed stingers on their tails that inflict notoriously painful stings that can be deadly when hit in the chest or abdomen. Since stingrays spend a lot of time camouflaging on the seafloor humans often step on them accidentally and end up with a very sore foot to show for it. The world just recognized the ten year anniversary of popular wildlife expert Steve Irwin’s death, who was fatally stung by a stingray on September 4, 2006.
4. Leopard Seal Most seals are relatively harmless and pose no threat to human beings. Leopard seals, however, are not your average run of the mill seal. They are the only seals that eat warm-blooded prey, and the females are larger than the males, another oddity amongst seals. They eat penguins, smaller seals and squid using their powerful jaws, sharp teeth, and clever hunting tactics. In 2003 a British marine biologist was fatally attacked by a leopard seal while snorkeling off of the Antarctic Peninsula. It was the first time a fatal seal attack was recorded, and though seal attacks are rare scientists speculate that the more humans interact with these seals, the more attacks there will be in the future.
3. Box Jellyfish Amongst the world’s most poisonous creatures, this unassuming ocean dweller is responsible for many fatalities annually. Many countries don’t require death certificates, so the exact number isn’t known, but judging from the fact that 20 to 40 people die every year in the Philippines alone, it’s safe to assume that box jellyfish are one of the ocean’s deadliest creatures. Their tentacles are covered with cnidocyst, which contains a tiny dart loaded with a poison that can cause a rapid spike in blood pressure leading to a potentially fatal heart attack. These facts have led some to call the box jellyfish the world’s most venomous creature.
2. Sharks When talking about the ocean’s deadliest predators, sharks are usually the first creatures to come to people’s minds. Though their reputation does have some basis in reality, it is cultural references like the Jaws movie franchise and the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week that have ballooned the shark’s reputation to all new somewhat undeserving heights. There are around 500 species of sharks, but only three, the great white, tiger and bull sharks are responsible for double-digit fatalities. From 1948 to early 2016 there were 2,899 total unprovoked shark attacks recorded around the world, 548 of which were fatal. In comparison, you are more likely to be killed by a falling aircraft or riding a horse.
1. Saltwater Crocodile The saltwater crocodile has two things going for it that help to make them the ocean’s deadliest. These beasts are the largest reptiles on the planet, reaching weights of up to 2,600 pounds and have the most powerful bite on earth, ten times stronger than that of the great white shark. Of all crocodiles, this territorial species is the most likely to treat humans as prey. There are a few fatal saltwater crocodile attacks per year in Australia, with many more attacks from different areas of the world that are believed to go unreported.
