Scary Creatures of The Sea

When people think about swimming in the sea, quite often, one of the first things they'll ask about is what they should be 'afraid of'.
I used to have lots of fun with that one.
I would reply with something like, "Not much... but do keep an eye out for 'Snapp'n Jack'..."
"Who's 'Snapp'n Jack?" they would warily ask.
"Oh, he's an 8-foot barracuda with a real bad attitude", I'd reply.
OK, so what's the real story?
Well, here it is:
In our 11 years of chartering, there  have been very few swimming injuries on our boat, and all of them minor in nature. And not one, I repeat NOT ONE, due to any creature of the sea biting someone.
On the other hand, of course, as with any other sport, one does need to be 'in the present'... and constantly mindful of the things around them. So before you even put a toe in the water, check with your captain, or, if you have no captain, then check the local boating guides as to what you may need to watch out for. Things like Sea Urchins, Fire Coral and Jelly Fish, to name a few.
Most of these don't add up to much, but we had one delightful couple aboard some years ago that decided to go off snorkelling before I'd had a chance to do my usual briefing. The young lady had seen a small cluster of sea urchins in the shallow water, and, realizing that her hubby was getting far too close to them, quickly made her way over and pushed him away. Good move. However, in doing so, she lost her balance and at down on a stand of fire coral. OUCH!!!
By the time she got back on board, she was crying with the pain. Ida laid her face down on the settee and administered her first aid (alcohol and hydrogen peroxide...in generous quantities!) while the poor girl blubbered through her tears, "That was like someone putting a blowtorch to my _ss!!!"
Yes, she knew about sea urchins, and now I think, she'll always remember Fire Coral.