'Inglourious Basterds' head-basher Eli Roth had a terrifying encounter with an army of sea urchins while on vacation in Mexico over the holidays.

The actor-director revealed to TMZ how while kayaking alone off the coast of Careyes ten days ago, he got pulled under unexpectedly by a sinkhole. Stranded in the water, he pulled himself up onto a nearby rock that he soon discovered was covered with spindly creatures. He tried to avoid the urchins but a wave emerged and knocked him off balance -- forcing the star to step directly on a bed of poison.