Deadly Box Jellyfish Found In Thai Waters

[sriracha john]

the remaining un-posted portion of the article, Killer on the loose....

Dead in three minutes

"The venom from a box jellyfish can kill a human in less than three minutes," said Phuket Marine Biological Centre director Wannakiat Tubtimsang yesterday.

Warnings about the dangerous "sea wasp" are being broadcast by relevant bodies including the Tourism Authority of Thailand, and swimmers are being advised to steer clear of certain waters.

According to Wannakiat, one swimmer died last month after suffering box-jellyfish stings. The creatures have recently been spotted in Phuket's Nambor Bay, Krabi's Loh Samah Bay and the islands of Lanta and Phi Phi.

Venom attacks the heart

"Burning pain on the skin is the first sign of contact," said Wannakiat, adding that if the box jellyfish venom enters the bloodstream, the victim can suffer congestive heart failure.

Unlike other members of the species, the box jellyfish actively hunts its prey. These aggressive tendencies along with an almost-transparent body that's difficult to spot even at short distances make it a menace to human swimmers.

Vinegar for stings

Wannakiat warned people against using cold water to alleviate the pain of a box-jellyfish sting.

"That can make things worse," he said. "The best solution is to apply vinegar or hot water, then get to a doctor as fast as possible."

So far this year, the box jellyfish has been blamed for at least two deaths in Thailand. The first victim was an 11-year-old Swedish boy who was stung to death in Krabi.

- The Nation / 2008-11-05

[sriracha john]

And a concurrent article by Bangkok Post today...

Swimmers warned of box jellyfish

The Marine and Coastal Resources Department has warned of box jellyfish attacks after the highly poisonous species was found off Koh Phi Phi in Krabi province. The box jellyfish is not common in Thai waters and a recent discovery of the species off some popular beaches has sparked fears for tourists' safety and possible impact on the tourism industry. So far two deaths in Thailand have been attributed to the jellyfish. The first was in 2002 at Koh Phangan in Surat Thani province, and the latest in April at Koh Lanta in Krabi. Earlier this year, the son of an Australian journalist was stung while swimming off Koh Mak in Trat. The jellyfish has most recently been spotted at Loh Sama bay at Koh Phi Phi. Several people had reportedly been stung by the species, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Anongwan Thepsuthin said yesterday. The Tourism and Sports Ministry has also expressed concern over the spread of box jellyfish and its impact on tourism. "People swimming in the sea where box jellyfish are present should exercise caution. The authorities will do their best to cope with the problem," Anongwan said. Box jellyfish are known for their powerful venom, which has caused at least 5,567 recorded deaths since 1954.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/051108_News/05Nov2008_news04.php

[Scott]

Do these creatures swim in groups or are they solitary hunters? I read in one post that if you encounter 1, there are usually more around, but is this because it's near their breeding grounds or is it in their nature to hunt together? Basically, I am wondering about the behavioral habits of the animal. Is it aggessive and actually attacks or is it a matter of accidently getting too close?

[sriracha john]

Do these creatures swim in groups or are they solitary hunters? I read in one post that if you encounter 1, there are usually more around, but is this because it's near their breeding grounds or is it in their nature to hunt together? Basically, I am wondering about the behavioral habits of the animal. Is it aggessive and actually attacks or is it a matter of accidently getting too close?

Post #10 has a video explaining their rather unique amongst jellyfish characteristics, such as their aggressive nature and actually pursuing prey.

From the photos I've seen, they are often found in groups.

[Uros]

No mangroves near Loh Samah bay on Phi Phi Leh. Mangroves are also quite scarce on the coasts of Phangan and Samui. When is their breeding season, anyway?

[Samuian]

.............edited.....I think I'll start selling Stinger suits in Thailand, anyone need one. These are fullbody lycra suits, we make them for the Australian market.

Thumbs up!

[Scott]

Thanks SJ, I'll check the video. Sometimes I get to lazy to do that on threads that get quite long. At any rate, I just don't want to run into one of these things because I was stupid.

[tw25rw]

Post #10 has a video explaining their rather unique amongst jellyfish characteristics, such as their aggressive nature and actually pursuing prey.

From the photos I've seen, they are often found in groups.

They aren't a naturally swarming creature but they breed in high numbers, so if there's no predators keeping them down, they will appear to swarm.

They won't actively hunt people, but will hunt in the areas we like to swim. Their natural prey include fish, meaning that their venom is optimised to attack a vertebrate nervous system. That's what makes them so dangerous to us.

[tw25rw]

No mangroves near Loh Samah bay on Phi Phi Leh. Mangroves are also quite scarce on the coasts of Phangan and Samui. When is their breeding season, anyway?

There would be tons of likely breeding sites in Phang Nga bay. It must be sea currents taking them out to the islands.

They are (at least in Australia) most active during wet season, so high season should be relatively safe.

[SamuiJens]

No mangroves near Loh Samah bay on Phi Phi Leh. Mangroves are also quite scarce on the coasts of Phangan and Samui. When is their breeding season, anyway?

There would be tons of likely breeding sites in Phang Nga bay. It must be sea currents taking them out to the islands.

They are (at least in Australia) most active during wet season, so high season should be relatively safe.

I guess they're found around Bali, as well?

[dumball]

No mangroves near Loh Samah bay on Phi Phi Leh. Mangroves are also quite scarce on the coasts of Phangan and Samui. When is their breeding season, anyway?

There would be tons of likely breeding sites in Phang Nga bay. It must be sea currents taking them out to the islands.

They are (at least in Australia) most active during wet season, so high season should be relatively safe.

How 'relatively safe ' would you like to feel about DEATH ? .

[tw25rw]

No mangroves near Loh Samah bay on Phi Phi Leh. Mangroves are also quite scarce on the coasts of Phangan and Samui. When is their breeding season, anyway?

There would be tons of likely breeding sites in Phang Nga bay. It must be sea currents taking them out to the islands.

They are (at least in Australia) most active during wet season, so high season should be relatively safe.

How 'relatively safe ' would you like to feel about DEATH ? .

Loads of people swim all the time and a few drown, get taken by sharks, hit by boats etc. So far only a couple are believed to have been killed by this jellyfish.

In tropical Australia, the sea is effectively out of bounds during the wet season, but is ok during the dry. I believe there has never been a fatality in June/July, which would be the seasonal equivalent to Jan/Feb in Thailand.

[sriracha john]

In tropical Australia, the sea is effectively out of bounds during the wet season, but is ok during the dry. I believe there has never been a fatality in June/July, which would be the seasonal equivalent to Jan/Feb in Thailand.

A problem I see with this is that as this is apparently a new situation for the waters of Thailand... making an assessment of when their plentiful season is and when it isn't is very questionable. If they've never had a "season" here, it is very difficult to gauge just when their "high" and "low" seasons are.

Certainly more data needs to be accumulated before making an accurate assessment.

[stingertale]

In tropical Australia, the sea is effectively out of bounds during the wet season, but is ok during the dry. I believe there has never been a fatality in June/July, which would be the seasonal equivalent to Jan/Feb in Thailand.

A problem I see with this is that as this is apparently a new situation for the waters of Thailand... making an assessment of when their plentiful season is and when it isn't is very questionable. If they've never had a "season" here, it is very difficult to gauge just when their "high" and "low" seasons are.

Certainly more data needs to be accumulated before making an accurate assessment.

It's not actually a new problem it's just that the problem is news. Who knows how many people have been killed by box jellyfish in Thailand as the health system is not set up to handle it. The only known reported deaths are all tourists - a 26 year old British man at Chaweng Beach Koh Samui in October 1999, an Australian male and Swiss female Koh Phangan 2002 and Swedish girl Koh Lanta April 2008 - and no Thais. No fishermen. No kids running into the sandy shallows where box jellyfish tend to habitate. No one.

In the Philippines where box jellyfish are also found there is an estimate of around 90 deaths a year. Last month there was a reported death in Malaysia. Certainly in Thailand there are more than meet the eye.

Australian box jellyfish experts are working with Thai counterparts to find out more about the ecology, the distribution and the danger but it will take time and money (whose?) to get a grip on the situation. Which it seems is in all likelihood like that of Thailand's neighbours where countless numbers of people swim or use the water and a relatively small but significant enough number are actually killed.

In the meantime do what the marine biologists and their families do, wear a stinger suit.

[HorseDoctor]

there is a letter to the editor in Phuket Gazette , a man claims to have been stung by a jelly fish , though not life threatening so, at Bang Tao Beach on the West coast

Sheraton, on the same beach has signs up warning swimmers.

[Kan Win]

there is a letter to the editor in Phuket Gazette , a man claims to have been stung by a jelly fish , though not life threatening so, at Bang Tao Beach on the West coast

Sheraton, on the same beach has signs up warning swimmers.

Hi 'HorseDoctor',

Any chance of a link to this letter? or the text of it please

Yours truly,

Kan Win

[sriracha john]

In tropical Australia, the sea is effectively out of bounds during the wet season, but is ok during the dry. I believe there has never been a fatality in June/July, which would be the seasonal equivalent to Jan/Feb in Thailand.

A problem I see with this is that as this is apparently a new situation for the waters of Thailand... making an assessment of when their plentiful season is and when it isn't is very questionable. If they've never had a "season" here, it is very difficult to gauge just when their "high" and "low" seasons are.

Certainly more data needs to be accumulated before making an accurate assessment.

It's not actually a new problem it's just that the problem is news. Who knows how many people have been killed by box jellyfish in Thailand as the health system is not set up to handle it. The only known reported deaths are all tourists - a 26 year old British man at Chaweng Beach Koh Samui in October 1999, an Australian male and Swiss female Koh Phangan 2002 and Swedish girl Koh Lanta April 2008 - and no Thais. No fishermen. No kids running into the sandy shallows where box jellyfish tend to habitate. No one.

In the Philippines where box jellyfish are also found there is an estimate of around 90 deaths a year. Last month there was a reported death in Malaysia. Certainly in Thailand there are more than meet the eye.

Australian box jellyfish experts are working with Thai counterparts to find out more about the ecology, the distribution and the danger but it will take time and money (whose?) to get a grip on the situation. Which it seems is in all likelihood like that of Thailand's neighbours where countless numbers of people swim or use the water and a relatively small but significant enough number are actually killed.

In the meantime do what the marine biologists and their families do, wear a stinger suit.

whether it's a new problem or not (the scientists seem to think it is)... is not what I was specifically addressing. It was that with the lack of knowledge regarding this species within Thailand's waters, it's extremely difficult to predict what time of year is worse for them in Thailand.

Edited November 10, 2008 by sriracha john

[Capex]

I haven't read the whole thread but did read the original report from the Australian and his concerns regarding these jellyfish. I can however, say that sightings of these creatures in the waters near Tarutao and up to Lanta, have been coming in from Australian yachtsmen passing through the area, for the past 18 years that I have been in Phuket. It would seem that it is only getting the publicity now that news has been filtering in regarding people being stung. I have seen Thai fishermen who have encountered some pretty serious jelly fish stings and subsequent scarring, over the years so it is not something new.

[tw25rw]

I think the new awareness may be down to the number of Australians arriving in the area who know what the things are.

[ourmanflint]

Not new news at all! There was a rumour at least 4 years ago on Koh Phangan that a couple of swimmers were killed by these little blighters. Only it was hushed up... holiday season and all!!

[HorseDoctor]

there is a letter to the editor in Phuket Gazette , a man claims to have been stung by a jelly fish , though not life threatening so, at Bang Tao Beach on the West coast

Sheraton, on the same beach has signs up warning swimmers.

Hi 'HorseDoctor',

Any chance of a link to this letter? or the text of it please

Yours truly,

Kan Win

Sorry , The Gazette doesn't put the Letters to Ed online, at least I can never find them.

I think the waters are warming up or the salinity is changing and making it more hospitable to stinging creatures as swimming off Bang Tao a few days ago was intolerable from sea lice or whatever they're called.

I've been stung before in years past but just here and there, I had about a dozen stings within 5 minutes, NO ONE was swimming... And the signs are still up in front of Sheraton warning of of Jelly Fish.

[sriracha john]

Just watched Will Smith's character have a very interesting experience with a box jellyfish in the fascinating new movie, Seven Pounds.

[SamuiJens]

Just watched Will Smith's character have a very interesting experience with a box jellyfish in the fascinating new movie, Seven Pounds.

AND WHAT HAPPENED???

[sriracha john]

Just watched Will Smith's character have a very interesting experience with a box jellyfish in the fascinating new movie, Seven Pounds.

AND WHAT HAPPENED???

It's "spoiler" material for all who haven't seen it yet... sorry...

[imjustagirl]

Just watched Will Smith's character have a very interesting experience with a box jellyfish in the fascinating new movie, Seven Pounds.

AND WHAT HAPPENED???

that would spoil it! it is a great movie, these nasty little jellies scare me. Avoiding the water here in samui for a bit and vinegar to hand in the emergency kit!

[SamuiJens]

Just watched Will Smith's character have a very interesting experience with a box jellyfish in the fascinating new movie, Seven Pounds.

AND WHAT HAPPENED???

It's "spoiler" material for all who haven't seen it yet... sorry...

Not Fair!!!

[shawndoc]

How would they have come to Phuket?

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but they have always been there. Well, I suspect strongly that this is true, anyway. I do not personally have proof, I mean, I haven't lived and sampled there for hundreds of years, obviously. There hasn't been a lot of jellyfish collecting in Thailand through the years, so we really don't have a lot of reports of presence or absence to learn from. But boxies and Irukandjis both are quite prevalent throughout the tropics of the world, and Irukandjis extend from Cape Town to North Wales in the UK, and just about everyplace in between. So the most reasonable explanation is that they have been there all along, but they didn't have very good public relations officers to get the word out . . .

These same questions were asked some 60 years ago in the North Queensland area of Australia when the Chironex species of box jellyfish was formally found. Before that, it was always assumed that it was the Portuguese man of war that was wreaking the havoc. The Aborigines knew that they were there too, but they didn't really focus on the ''jellyfish'' as much as on the ''death'' or ''illness.'' In other words, they didn't report the presence of jellyfish, but they knew that evil spirits lurked in the water. I suspect in Thailand that there are historical anecdotes about the sea punishing people who had angered the gods, or something to that effect - very common explanation in instances where the agent of death is unknown.

Taken from here:

Phuket WAN

[sriracha john]

Just watched Will Smith's character have a very interesting experience with a box jellyfish in the fascinating new movie, Seven Pounds.

AND WHAT HAPPENED???

It's "spoiler" material for all who haven't seen it yet... sorry...

Not Fair!!!

I know and I apologize, but I think there'd be much more complaining posts if I revealed it. Anyway, the movie's definitely worth a look and it really shows off the box jellyfish's movements and capabilities well.

[sriracha john]

UPDATE

Koh Phangan Warning - Killer Jelly Fish Stings!

For Australian tourists travelling to Thailand there've been warnings about terrorist threats and political instability, but nowhere has the travel advice contained warnings about fatal jellyfish stings.

One Australian man is working hard to change that after his son was nearly killed by a box jellyfish while the family was holidaying at a Thai beach on Resort Island Koh Samui.

This interview is taken from website of Australian Broadcasting Commission's Radio National - where you can also listen to the audio.

Elizabeth Jackson: For Australian tourists travelling to Thailand there've been warnings about terrorist threats and political instability, but nowhere has the travel advice contained warnings about fatal jellyfish stings. One Australian man is working hard to change l that after his son was nearly killed by a box jellyfish while the family was holidaying at a Thai beach on famous Koh Samui Island.

Kirrin McKechnie: Last Summer, Andrew Jones took his young family on a dream holiday to Thailand. But when his four-year-old son Lewis was stung by a box jellyfish while swimming off a small beach, things quickly became the stuff of nightmares.

Andrew Jones: All of a sudden he stopped and screamed a really horrible scream, I never heard it before and I never want to hear it again. So I just raced out into the water and pulled him out onto the beach and he was absolutely hysterical and it was really only, it took a little while to register that it was in fact a jelly fish. We had a pretty traumatic time from that moment on to try and firstly save his life, as he ran in to a spot of bother, he went straight into cardiac and respiratory arrest.

Kirrin McKechnie: A quick thinking chef from a nearby resort threw vinegar on the four-year-old's wounds. It saved the little boy's life. Andrew Jones says he would never let his family swim off the North Queensland coast because of fears of stingers, but he had no idea the waters around Thailand were just as dangerous.

Andrew Jones: And the horror of it was the fact that we knew nothing about there even being box jellyfish in this area; there's no signage, obviously this is Thailand. But there's no warnings from anybody there that they might be around, whereas you see lots of warnings in places like Queensland and the Northern Territory. The box jellyfish is renowned to be probably the most venomous creature on the planet and when it wraps its tentacles around a little four year old it can cause some serious damage. So in actual fact he's lucky to be alive.

Kirrin McKechnie: Since then, Andrew Jones has launched a dedicated campaign to make the beaches of Thailand safer. He's travelled back to Bangkok, holding meetings with the Thai Government, local scientists and consular officials from Australia and other big tourist nations. He says his biggest hurdle in raising awareness of stingers has been a massive resistance from tourism operators, worried about the bad publicity.

Andrew Jones: Several years earlier, 2002, a Melbourne man had been stung and actually died on Koh Samui and the authorities there actually tried to cover this up. There were signs put up on the beach warning tourists of the problem, but all the local operators pulled those down.

Kirrin McKechnie: But last year Mr Jones teamed up with jellyfish expert Lisa Gershwin and the pair have made real progress. As the curator of natural science at the Queen Victoria Museum in Launceston, Lisa Gershwin says the key has been knocking down cultural boundaries that made fatal jellyfish stings go undetected by Thai authorities.

Lisa Gershwin: I don't think it's that they ignoring the problem. I think it's that they simply didn't know. Most of the people getting stung in Thailand are either fisherman in little villages and they don't require death certificates and there's kind of a cultural thing that if you get killed by the ocean it's because you pissed it off. So there's these cultural beliefs and local customs that don't really make jellyfish fatalities something reportable.

- Koh Phangan News / 2009-03-25

[stingertale]

http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/previewnews2.php?news_id=1056

or

A team from Australia visited Phuket last week holding meetings and conducting workshops and seminars on the subject of box jellyfish and irukandjis in Thailand.

The visit of the Australian team was a success for both the Thais and the team that will go a long way in achieving real results in box jellyfish awareness, education, research and safety. There is no quick fix (except vinegar when at the beach) and those looking for a quick tick and cross for every beach will be disappointed.

While there are plenty of similarities between the Australian and Thai situations there are also many differences creating challenges that require special effort.

The classic box jellyfish habitat in northern Australia is not necessarily the same as that in Thailand, though the land/seascape looks the same. For instance, beach near mangrove to put it simply is the Australian experience yet in Thailand numerous stings including 3 farang fatalities have occured in areas not unlike the west of Phuket such as Chaeweng Beach and Koh Phangan, plus a Koh Mak beach where there is no mangrove for miles. The river at Chalong Bay for example would be completely out of bounds in Australia because if a croc didn't get you then a boxie would. Yet, there's no reported history of stings here.

2 days of intensive workshops brought Thai marine biologists and fisheries officials plus a Malaysian contingent up to speed with research details (ID, sampling techniques, etc), a 1 day seminar on the situation emphasizing prevention/treatment was well attended by health officials from dozens of coastal provinces, Phuket hospital reps and TAT people while a 1/2 day seminar filled in the blanks for tour operators, hotel reps and consuls from 5 countries.

The message is that much research needs to be done all around Thailand to get a clearer picture on what exactly is causing the serious envenomations and where they are. For this end there will be 5 marine centres actively sampling for specimens in myriad locations. In the meantime, safety is a priority and the same applies - always carry vinegar and if in doubt wear a lycra suit.

Aside from box jellyfish, irukandjis took up much time and energy as there are enough indicators to suggest that they too exist in Thai waters. Dr Gershwin who headed the visit is the world expert in this field and having discovered a wrongly identified species in a reference collection bottle also noted the presence of biological indicators (salps and sea lice) plus anecdotal evidence typical of irukandji type syndrome. Much testing needs to be done on this before more facts are established so much of this is just educated guess work. It's also important to note that irukandji has been found as far afield as Wales and Melbourne and only reportedly caused 2 deaths but the pain is apparently prolonged and like nothing else and it tends to more abundant in the tropics.

There seems to be a real commitment to address this issue as best as possible before another tragedy with a concerted exchange of knowledge and personnel over the oncoming months.

To date the method of capturing big box jellyfish has not worked because the animal is too 'intelligent' and too quick. But, watch this space as the Thais employ effective methods to capture specimens and a clearer picture is established.