I have participated in Halfs and Fulls, and I don’t recall ever hearing about this before. After my race on Sunday, back at the hotel, I took off my tri jersey and my wife noticed a “leaf” stuck on my back. It was about 1 1/2 inch long and about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch wide. It was “moth-like” in color. I jumped in the shower and as soon as the water stream hit the “leaf”, it fell off but took my skin with it. It burned/stung like crazy. Obviously at that point I realized this was not a leaf and I watched the little organism swirl into the bathtub drain. I now have a scab on my lower back that is about the size of the little guy who was stuck on to me. So for any marine biology triathletes out there, what the hell was that? Did it really just attached itself to me during the swim and stay there all day without bothering me? I sat in the car on the way back to the hotel, I even laid down for 15 minutes in the hotel room, and I never felt the guy. But it clearly did not like the shower hitting him/her.
Just curious.
i think i saw that on an episode of the x-files back in the 90’s
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Leech?
Check the area indeed. Botflies can use humans as a host for their larvae and it can be painful (they have spines).
I have participated in Halfs and Fulls, and I don’t recall ever hearing about this before. After my race on Sunday, back at the hotel, I took off my tri jersey and my wife noticed a “leaf” stuck on my back. It was about 1 1/2 inch long and about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch wide. It was “moth-like” in color. I jumped in the shower and as soon as the water stream hit the “leaf”, it fell off but took my skin with it. It burned/stung like crazy. Obviously at that point I realized this was not a leaf and I watched the little organism swirl into the bathtub drain. I now have a scab on my lower back that is about the size of the little guy who was stuck on to me. So for any marine biology triathletes out there, what the hell was that? Did it really just attached itself to me during the swim and stay there all day without bothering me? I sat in the car on the way back to the hotel, I even laid down for 15 minutes in the hotel room, and I never felt the guy. But it clearly did not like the shower hitting him/her.
Just curious.
Sounds like some sort of leech. The tide was going out which means we were swimming in the outflow of the Miami River. There is no telling what may come out of that river.
I just got the willies! At least you discovered it before it did more damage.
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It’s not a botfly. Botfly eggs enter the skin via a bite from mosquitoes, you don’t even know they’re there until weeks later. This guy obviously had some sort of leech.
Could be this:
Sorry - couldn’t resist…
I am quite sure it was not a bot fly due to the fact that it did not look like a fly nor did it have wings. It looked more like a snail without antenna, or a shell. I personally think it was some kind of leech but they are not typically salt water guys. I suck at swimming so any additional “weight” in the water just further slows me down!
Sounds possibly like a sea lamprey. They are indigenous to the Atlantic coast (although I would think they’d be more likely in the northern Florida coastline). Based on your description, it could likely be a small sea lamprey, or a large leech but I am really unsure of the distribution of saltwater leeches. Definitely not a botfly as some have suggested.
Were you racked in the grass or pavement? The grass was pretty muddy with all the rain. Maybe it came from there at some point.
I was expecting this to be either 1) about a dog. or 2) you met a girl
instead, it turned out to be one of nastiest posts ever.
That was disgusting, but I couldn’t look away! really hope he doesn’t have that third guy…
x2
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The great thing about swimming in Tempe Town Lake is nothing can survive there longer two hours and twenty five minutes…
Leeches, if they are burned off or are full and drop off would leave a mark but would not take all your skin. Why colour was the little critter? A sea lamprey, even a small one would have a tail. So I suspect leech as well. They do have a numbing agent along with anti-coagulant so you won’t feel them. When they drop off you will generally bleed a bit.
Be thankful it didn’t attach itself somewhere else :(.
I also thought someone brought home a puppy!
CJ
17 Days IMAZ!!
Could be this:
Sorry - couldn’t resist…
Shit!
i think i saw that on an episode of the x-files back in the 90’s
Yes! Love the reference. They had a nasty one from the very early 2000s too.
/X-Files Fanatic.