Just When You Thought It Was Safe . . .
If youre like most people, when you think of dangerous ocean creatures, you think of sharks. But the fact is that sharks attack, on the average, less than 100 people a year, with only a small portion of those attacks being fatal.
Thats the good news. The bad news is that there are other dangers in the ocean that you should know about. We dont mean to scare you out of the water--most public beaches are located in places where threatening creatures are rare. But still, forewarned is forearmed, especially if youre the type that likes to set off along wild coastlines in search of unpopulated (and unguarded) beaches.
On of the most common dangers bathers encounter is jellyfish. These beautiful creatures, not fish at all, live in just about all kinds of water from temperate to arctic, all over the world. Every species of jelly can sting, although few inflict life-threatening injuries. One exception is the Australian box jellyfish. A brush with the tentacles of one can be fatal in as little as three minutes, and a person who has been stung by a box jelly should get medical attention as soon as possible.
Other jelly stings, however, even those of the infamous Portuguese man o war, are not normally life-threatening. They are extremely painful, however. The sting comes from the tentacles of the creatures, which harbor thousands of tiny stinging spines called nematocysts. These spines fire poison when they contact anything the jelly thinks might be prey. If you have an encounter with a jellyfish, there are two things you have to do: First, you must remove as many unfired nematocysts as possible from your skin. Use a stick, or anything else you can find to remove any visible tentacles from your body. Rinsing off will remove many more, but keep in mind that fresh water tends to trigger nematocysts. Rubbing alcohol or diluted ammonia work better.
Once youve gotten rid of the stinging cells, you can start treating the painful welts caused by the sting. For immediate relief, some swear by meat tenderizer and/or baking soda applied directly to the wound. The theory is that these alkaline substances break down any remaining jellyfish tissue and poison. But this has not been scientifically proven. Your best bet is to take antihistamines such as Benadryl, and to apply over-the-counter cortisone creams as needed. Youll need to be patient--bad stings can take weeks to heal completely.
The best treatment, of course, is prevention. Luckily, mature jellyfish have bodies at least a few inches in diameter, and often travel in schools, so theyre fairly visible. If you should see even one, its probably best to just get out of the water.
A particular concern to swimmers and divers off the coast of Florida and the Caribbean is a malady often known as sea lice. For years nobody knew what was causing the itchy rashes reported by many bathers during the spring and summer months. We now know that its the pinhead-sized larvae of a type of jellyfish native to the area. These larvae arent especially dangerous, but the rashes they cause tend to cover large areas of the body and are itchy and unsightly.
So-called sea lice seem to anchor themselves in swimsuit fabric while attacking, so its often the most modestly-suited member of a family, or the one wearing a tee shirt who winds up with the worst case. The best way to prevent sea lice is to remove your bathing suit as soon as possible after bathing, even if you don't feel any discomfort--symptoms typically don't appear until at least six hours after exposure. Pressure seems to trigger sea-lice nematocysts, so lying on the beach or on a surfboard may make things worse. You might want to consider bringing two bathing suits if youll be visiting Florida or the Caribbean during the peak sea-lice month of April--one for swimming, one for sunbathing. If you do find yourself with an outbreak, treat it the same way you treat adult jellyfish stings--antihistamines and cortisone.
Its interesting to note that corals are related fairly closely to jellyfish--coral reefs are formed from millions of tiny polyps that resemble larval jellies. And in fact, some coral, can deliver a sting. These fire coral stings are not fatal except in cases of extreme allergic reaction, but are very painful and will ruin your diving adventure--one more good reason you should never disturb live coral while diving. The treatment is the same as for mild jellyfish stings.
Its not just the coral itself you have to watch out for--reefs are great hiding places for dangerous creatures. Stinging sea anemones, barracuda, lionfish, moray eels, and even octopi (nasty biters when provoked) can attack the non-wary. None of these creatures, however, is normally aggressive. Leave them alone (a good rule in any case), and they shouldnt bother you.
Lionfish are beautiful frilled, orange- and black-striped fish. But don't be fooled by their good looks. Stings from the barbs on their backs can be life-threatening, and deserve immediate medical attention.
Bites from non-poisonous fish should probably also get a doctors attention, as infection is always a risk. This is especially true in the case of morays and barracuda, which tend to leave sharp teeth embedded in wounds.
Of particular danger in the South Pacific, especially the Great Barrier Reef area, are sea snakes. Bites are occasionally fatal. If you or someone you are traveling with is bitten, get help immediately. Put pressure on the wound and keep it lower than the heart, if possible. Dont try to suck out the poison--this remedy is a myth.
Not all stinging creatures live in the open ocean. Its important to exercise caution when exploring shallows and tide pools as well. Many creatures are known to hide in the sand at the bottom of shallow water. Stingrays and scorpionfish are two common examples. Stingrays live in tropical and sub-tropical waters, although they have been sighted as far north as Massachusetts. (Its important to note, however, that not all rays are stingrays). Stingrays burrow into the sand with only their eyes showing, hoping for prey (usually a small fish) to swim by. They will not attack humans without provocation, but they consider stepping on them to be provocation. If you are stung, clean the wound immediately with fresh water and antiseptic, carefully removing any pieces of stinger that may remain. Stingray welts are very painful (although not life-threatening). In the first few hours after a sting, soaking the wound in hot water often eases the pain, though it may return as the water cools.
Scorpionfish and their lethal relatives the stonefish are a more serious worry. Scorpion fish are found along the shores of the eastern Atlantic, from New England to the Caribbean. Stonefish are native to the tide pools and shallows of China, India, Japan, the Philippines, and Australia. Both fish have sharp, strong, and poisonous spines. Both are burrowers, and as such dangerous to waders. The sting of the scorpionfish is very painful. If you are stung, carefully remove any remaining barbs from the wound, and disinfect it. As with stingray injuries, soaking in hot water helps to relieve the pain. Stonefish stings are more serious still, and need immediate medical attention. They are often fatal if antivenin is not administered.
Less serious but similar puncture wounds can be the result of stepping on sea urchins and some starfish. Although not generally venomous, these creatures can have hardy spines that cause easily-infected puncture wounds.
Most of these tidal-pool dwellers are hard to see, so the best way to protect yourself is to make it impossible to step on them with your bare feet--always wear rubber sandals or even an old pair of sneakers when wading or exploring tide pools.
By the way, we dont mean to downplay the dangers of shark attacks. Though rare, there are things you can--and should--do to protect yourself in shark-infested waters.
- First and foremost, dont swim or surf in shark-infested waters if youre bleeding in any way--sharks can smell prey up to two miles away through the water.
- For the same reason, do not swim near people who are fishing--fish blood in the water attracts sharks as well.
- Stay out of the water at dawn, at dusk, and at night, because sharks often feed close to shore at these times.
- Sharks like harbor entrances, stream mouths, and steep drop-offs. Be especially wary when swimming in or near these areas.
- Try to avoid needless splashing--thrashing around makes you look like prey. Dont let your dog play in the ocean if sharks might be around, either--their erratic swimming and splashing is very intriguing to sharks.
We hope we havent discouraged you from planning your beach vacation. Its important to remember that millions of people go to the beach every day, all over the world, and return with nothing more serious than sand in their suits. You have to look hard to find most of the menaces mentioned above, and even then, most need prodding before they become dangerous. A little caution--and a lot of awareness of your surroundings--will go a long way toward keeping you safe in the ocean.
