Panic Attack and Pufferfish
Safety Stop. Scuba divers are about to going up.
I have been scuba diving for five years in many dive sites, and some of them even considered as difficult ones because of strong current or having numerous sharks and other huge marine life. I considered myself as an experienced scuba diver with hundreds of logged dives. I believe I have easy going attitude and – oh well, I’d better stop here as it looks now I am doing self-promotions..
Regardless of what mentioned as “myself promotions”; for the first time in my scuba diving experience and my entire living experience, I had a panic attack at an easy dive site in Sal Island (Cape Verde). It happened when I was about to descend; I was not even under the water yet. Out of the blue, I felt that I could not breathe and my heart beat so fast. I wanted to take off my diving wetsuit. I was unreasonable; I screamed that I could not breathe and felt that I was about to drown. I kept inflating my BCD (Buoyancy Control Device) jacket while it was already fully inflated. Thankfully Ben, our dive guide, was quickly helping me and brought me back to the boat. I can’t thank enough for his quick respond – Ben, whenever you read this, thank you again!
Divers Alert Network mentioned panic attack could happen to an experienced scuba diver for no apparent reason, and that could be because the divers lose sight of familiar objects become disoriented and experience sensory deprivation. I did not feel of losing sight of any familiar objects. However, I did feel that I was not fully fit when preparing my dive on that day. I took the rest of the day off from scuba diving. On the following day, I went for cave diving in Buracona and things went well, I had no panic attack at all.
What my panic attack has to do with the pufferfish (blowfish) was pure coincidence. A couple days later, Dutchie and I went scuba diving at the dive site where I had panic attack. The dive site, Dive Site Santo Antão wreck, had a cargo ship that was wrecked in Santa Maria bay. The dive site was full of pufferfish, hundreds of pufferfish. They were everywhere around the wreck.
When frightened and stressed, the pufferfish will inflate himself by sucking water and air he can swallow to fill his stomach. This is his defensive mechanism but it also could get the fish killed when releasing the air after the inflation. While a pufferfish inflated himself when got frightened, I did keep inflate my BCD jacket when I had panic attack.
This tiny spiny puffer fish was caught in a neuston net tow. Many juvenile fish live in clumps of sargassum weed, a type of marine algae that lives its whole life floating at the oceans surface. South Atlantic Bight, Southeast United States. Photographer: Bruce Moravchik, NOAA. Credit: Islands in the Stream Expedition 2002.
It was no fun for having panic attack. I was lucky it happened before I was deep underwater, it’s not safe to inflate BCD jacket when underwater, as the scuba diver will go up faster without safety stop that could caused decompression sickness. After the experience I study how to handle the panic but I do hope it will never occur again.
As for scuba divers who care about marine life, would do their best not to frighten nor to stress pufferfish to get the fish inflated for the sake of picture. This scuba diver did so as portrayed in his flickr image for instance, and it’s embarrassing, if not then it’s a disappointing attitude of other fellow scuba diver. I just don’t get why it is so difficult not to touch or not to hassle marine life when scuba diving. We are just the visitors in the ocean and the ocean is their home, just leave them alone and respect their lives at their home.
It’s OK now 🙂
indahs: dive, travel & photography 
Indah, I know what a panic attack is like and you really have my sympathies. Thank goodness Ben acted quickly for your sake. And as for those who mess with wildlife I have no respect for. We are the ones who are visiting them in their environment so to have an attitude of respect is truly of utmost necessity, in my opinion. Great images!!! Your equipment you have really takes phenomenal photos. I KNOW how expensive that equipment is as well. I really enjoyed this post!!! (((HUGS))) Amy ❤
Thank you so much Amy! I was truly grateful by the help from Ben! Indeed, the more I dive, the more I care about the ocean, I hope I was not too much 🙂 Have a wonderful day Amy!
You have a wonderful day too, Indah!!!! Stay safe!!! ❤
Had my own experience of panic attack, upon entry during dive trip at tip of borneo. Instead of inflate, I unintentionally deflate my BCD. (I later found that the inflate and deflate button are of the same grey color). Start to descent and struggling to float. I panicked!
Do not know what to do, wave at DM to help. DM cannot swim fast enough. When I cannot stay afloat anymore, I ditched the belt.
I afloat and get back to boat.
Stay on boat a few minutes before getting my brain work again.
I recalled, I can just simply reach for the inflate button. Yes, but under panic situation, ask for help comes to my mind first.
It was unpleasant, but that was the experience I needed as diver.
I was more aware to check my gears and physically and mentally prepared prior to dive.
Thanks for sharing article. At least I now know panic can happen, just be parepared to handle the situation if happen to ownself.
What an experience! I am glad that you solved it by throwing out your belt..I have read that even drowning could happen to an experienced swimmer..water is not human’s territory at the first place and I guess that makes the panic is often occurred to scuba divers who could spend long time underwater. Although it is common thing but it still can caused death and decompression sickness, so glad to hear that you are now anticipated it better. After the panic attack, I promise myself to maintain my fitness and always double check my gears before going down 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing your experience!
Thanks for sharing that experience. I’ve never scuba dived but I like to scuba dive vicariously and see all the wonderul sea life. it’s amazing, the diversity and the beauty, that one would never see if it hadn’t been for the first diver of some sort.
Hi Cris, gladly sharing the experience, although it is unpleasant one but lesson learned, be always fit and well prepared when scuba diving 🙂 I am sure you will enjoy the underwater world!
Wow Indah, what a very well told and scary story ~ I feel for you. After my first year of diving, I was out once at about 100ft depth looking up and starting thinking of all the water and weight above me (and then around me)…and then I felt this pang of panic (as if I was sinking). A calm hand and diving buddy makes all the difference in the world, and very happy you had a good ending and went out diving to see the fish version of your panic attack in the puffer fish. I loved that part of your writing, creating a great story and then with it a perfect segue into the life of the puffer fish. Beautiful photos and really beautiful writing.
Randall, thank you so much. I am truly appreciate your comment – especially it is coming from you who are a talented writer (I always amaze by your posts!) and my favorite photographer. You made my day 🙂
Ohhh Indah, I am sorry to hear that. I am glad all went well.
What if I told I had a panic attack when I was diving in Turkey?
My case was pretty bad though… I was already at 20m, but luckily it was at the beginning of the dive. I felt like my body was burning, and that my heart would explode. I had no idea what I was doing, I took my mask and regulator off, and thanks to my guide I didn’t drown. He was very fast on putting his second stage into my mouth and took me back to the surface safely.
I never wrote about this because otherwise my mom will freak out hahaha. But one day when we meet in person I will tell you exactly how it was!
I was afraid I would never dive again, so the day after I went back, and after a few days I got my advanced. I certainly turned the situation around and I am very happy I did it. Now I know how to control panic attacks… I can recognise when it’s coming, so I try to breath and focus on something.
As for the marine life, same here. I just don’t get that other people touch them, I get sooo mad at this. People like this should just lose their license!
Thank you for sharing your experience. I am always happy to learn with you!
Hugs!!
I am so glad that you were saved! That’s scary to have the panic at that depth and I am so happy to hear that your dive guide helped you quickly!! You did excellent by continuing to scuba dive on the following day, I think that’s great solution to overcome the traumatic experience after the panic. Understanding about the panic and know how to overcome it will give you comforts to scuba dive, so you are really on the right track!!
I am sure your mom will not read this blog, so your story is saved in this blog 🙂 Hopefully we will meet up someday, and we can share the story how crazy it was 😀 hugs and have a lovely evening!! xoxo
Yes, thank God all went well. It was a scary moment, but it made me a stronger diver and person!
I am also glad all went well with you. After my panic attack I read that more than half of the divers have a panic attack at some point. So I think we got passed that already 😀
hahaha and no, my mom doesn’t read english so my story is safe with you 😀
Cute little puffer fish!!!
They are very cute indeed with puppy eyes and expression 😀
I know! My dads always talked about them from his diving days…I didn’t realise you could handle them (very very carefully)
oh, gosh, I’m happy it all went well and you were safe and sound in the end!!
this is such an interesting post, Indah, it’s so great you are taking an eloquent stand when it comes to preserving marine life!! way to go, Indah!!
happy that you were safe 🙂