Deadly reason to ‘cover up’ at some Aussie beaches
Aussies and tourists alike are being warned about a deadly sea creature that if stings you and you’re not treated in time, it can be fatal.
Experts have warned locals and tourists alike about a deadly creature following a “strong body of evidence” that more tropical species are expanding their distributions southward as oceans warm.
The Australian box jellyfish, (aka stinger, sea wasp) or Chironex fleckeri, as it is known scientifically, are found mostly across the northern part of Australia – but they could be making their way down south as climate change increases ocean temperatures.
The current Northern Territory advice is to either avoid the water or cover up.
“The more skin you cover, the greater the protection,” it states on the Northern Territory government’s website.
“Special stinger suits are also available for those who do coastal water activities.”
In February, territory authorities warned the public it is “stinger season” and to be on the lookout for “extremely dangerous” jellyfish species which can kill humans in under five minutes.
Ecologist and Sydney University Professor Dieter Hochuli said more tropical species are expanding their distributions southward as oceans warm.
“So it’s very possible that its distribution will expand and it will turn up in places it hasn’t been previously,” Dr Hochuli told news.com.au.
“They are big, about 30cm for the box bit, with tentacles below it extending to around three. metres,” he said about the box jellyfish.
He said the tentacles are covered with numerous stinging cells called nematocysts.
“It’s how they catch their prey. When they brush against something they fire a little venomous dart that penetrates the skin.
“So if you brush against them you may end up with hundreds of these stings. It’s supposed to be excruciating, the venom causes the cells to leak, with potassium going from cells into the blood stream. If it happens enough it can lead to cardiac arrest.”
They may also be difficult to see because they appear colourless and unlike most jellyfish they are able to swim towards prey which they navigate towards using their 24 eyes.
Christine Evans, an aquarist at Sea Life aquarium in Melbourne also said there’s a “high chance” box jellyfish will migrate into new waters if they continue to warm.
“They’re definitely going to keep moving,” she told Yahoo.
“They’re very fast swimmers so during the summer months they can swim far.”
She said how far south they move depends on how warm waters become.
“If the temperatures get high enough … there’s a chance (box jellyfish) will reach Sydney,” Ms Evans said.
Box jellyfish are very common during summer around the Top End, and generally congregate around shallow waters in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Indonesia.
“They have been the cause of numerous deaths in Australia. Most of those are from heart attacks after a sting, or drowning after being stung,” Dr Hochuli said.
According to Yahoo, since 1975, there have been 14 confirmed box jellyfish deaths in territory waters – all were children as they are particularly vulnerable because of their smaller size.
One of the most recent was a 14-year-old boy who had been swimming at Mackay’s Eimeo beach in February last year, before being covered with two metres of tentacles.
Paramedics took the boy to Mackay Base Hospital for further treatment but he could not be saved.
Dr Hochuli said while they are very dangerous, getting treatment in time can make the difference.
Anyone who is stung by a box jellyfish should get out of the water and seek immediate treatment by finding a lifeguard and calling Triple-0.
Dr Hochuli advised diluted vinegar be applied to the stung area is the current best practice.
“The application of vinegar deactivates undischarged stinging cells, preventing them from opening and releasing venom,” Dr Hochuli explained.
“It won’t stop the venom that’s already in there. Applying ice after is also seen as potentially helpful.”
He said, however, avoidance is the best strategy.
“Don’t not swim during the times when they are active. There are signs everywhere reminding people to avoid swimming at certain times.”
The ecologist, who was in Darwin recently, shared a photo with news.com.au of East Point Beach, of a warning sign.
It informed locals and tourists of stingers in the ocean from October to May.
“Another box jellyfish that causes problems in Australia is the Irukandji,” he said.
“It’s tiny (about the size of a thumbnail) but can do the same damage.”
Last year, a British tourist was left fighting for his life after being stung by the deadly creature during at Palm Cove Beach in Far North Queensland.
James Soale, 22, had been enjoying a dip at the beach when he came into contact with an Irukandji jellyfish known for its poisonous sting that can trigger devastating brain haemorrhages.
Mr Soale said it was so tiny, he didn’t even see it. He said he and his girlfriend Savannah Callaghan, 23, had been following jellyfish and crocodile warnings in the area and were swimming in a netted area. But then he felt something on his left arm.
“It felt like an electric shock,” Mr Soale told The Sun.
“I suspected it was a jellyfish but didn’t know which one or the danger.
“I tried to walk it off before the pain got too much and I told the lifeguard, who quickly evacuated everyone from the sea.
“It was a scary time and the pain was excruciating. I’ve never had anything like that happen to me before,” he said.
Mr Soale was rushed to intensive care suffering chest pains and struggling to breathe. But luckily medics were able to neutralise the lethal venom.
On average 50-100 people each year are hospitalised in Australia after being stung by Irukandji jellyfish.
Mr Soale was kept in Cairns Hospital under close observation for 10 hours. He has now made a full recovery – and has even headed back in the water.
The jellyfish is about two centimetres long, making it difficult for swimmers to notice in the water. According to the Queensland Ambulance Service, they are most likely found in tropical Australian waters, from Bundaberg in Queensland to Geraldton in Western Australia, from November to May.
Incidents of Irukandji syndrome in Far North Queensland have been recorded for all months of the year, it states.
Signs and symptoms of Irukandji envenomation are not always immediate and may appear five to 45 minutes after the initial sting.
In Mr Soale’s case, he didn’t feel pain until about 20 minutes later, when it became unbearable.
Surf Life Saving Queensland says marine stinger enclosures are designed to stop box jellyfish, but Irukandji can still get through.
Meanwhile, changes have already been observed in Queensland and NSW waters with unprecedented numbers of venomous blue dragon sea slugs found on the Gold Coast, Bondi Beach, Kurnell and Newcastle.
In January, University of the Sunshine Coast’s Professor David Schoeman, told Yahoo that Australia’s tropical and subtropical fish were increasing in abundance and persisting throughout colder months in Sydney Harbour’s kelp beds.
“I’ve dived there and it’s a really striking and unsettling experience,” he said.
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