It’s hard to imagine why anybody would ever want to purposely sting themselves with one of the most ‘toxic’ venoms known to man—but Mark Vins, host of YouTube channel Brave Wilderness, did just that.
Having already stung himself with some other dangerous fish—including the lionfish and the scorpionfish—Vins decided to take his investigations one step further and allow a stonefish to sting him.
The stonefish is a master at camouflage (Getty Stock Photo)
According to the Ocean Conservancy, the stonefish is the’most venomous fish’ on the planet and can cause paralysis and, in some cases, death.
They are particularly dangerous due to their incredible camouflage. Blending in with their surroundings, the fish have a rocky appearance and are pretty docile within the water.
This means swimmers and surfers are at particular risk of stepping on their razor-sharp spikes, which are ready and loaded with deadly venom.
Oceana explain: “They almost always sit perfectly still, on the sea floor, in their preferred habitat of coral and rocky reefs, and their colors are often a perfect match for the substrate. Some individuals have even been observed with algae growing on them.
“While this camouflage gives them further protection from predators, its primary purpose is to allow stonefish to ambush their prey.”
In order to educate others on the dangers of the stonefish, Vins filmed himself being stung on camera, and it’s pretty horrifying.
In the video, Vins first sets about trying to find a stonefish, which he manages to locate hiding among some rocks on the seabed.
He first shows viewers how the stonefish manages to sting predators, revealing bright blue spikes hiding along its spine. He then takes a piece of Neoprene to demonstrate just how much venom is released during each sting.
Admitting he was feeling increasingly nervous about subjecting himself, Vins explained that he had taken a number of measures just in case he had a serious reaction to the venom.
“While the venom is extremely potent, it is thermolabile, so if treated properly and with medical attention, you will survive the sting of a stonefish,” he explained.
Thermolabile essentially means the venom is destroyed by heat.
“I have brought the antidote with me, a thermos filled with hot water that’s around 140°F, a compress to hold over the wound, and if I do go into a state of anaphylaxis shock, I always carry with me an epi pen,” he continued.
Vins also added that he was only a three-minute drive from an emergency department, should he need medical attention.
Vins was in intense pain (Brave Wilderness/YouTube)
Explaining it would probably be the ‘worst sting’ he would ever endure, Vins went ahead and sunk his hand into one of the creature’s spikes.
Within seconds, Vins was keeling over in agonising pain, describing it as ‘immediate fire’ that spread throughout his fingers.
“It’s a different magnitude of pain,” he said.
As the venom spread up his hand, Vins could be seen applying the hot water, but the pain carried on traveling up his arm and into his neck.
Vins explained that even a month after the sting, he still experiences numbness and tingles.
Probably goes without saying, but don’t try this one at home, guys.
