Naiharn Beach Jelly Fish

[hackerthai]

I swim Nai Harn beach,

have lived here for 10 months and now that high season is here (low surf) I notice large jelly fish.

Yesterday I swam the entire bay and saw 6 large jelly fish-- size of basket balls. I had goggles and swam up to them. One had fangs almost like teeth on it with fish swimming around it.

I get little stings since late Nov which I assume are jelly fish. My arms itch for days after. some red welts.

Is this normal? the water was clear so I could see them but if cloudy, is there a danger running into this type.

I don't no anything about jelly fish.

Over Christmas the surf was large as Naiharn, many kids caught in rough waters--many rescues, just to be aware.

If the jelly fish has been discussed before please point me to that link.

thank you

[CroBiker]

Yeah, scary stuff....we're still lucky: I saw in Langkawi Malaysia which is not that far a jelly fish size of dam_n halloween pumpkin, scared living daylight out of me.

[mackayae]

Sea lice (not really lice, but the larvae of sea creatures such as jellyfish). It is very common in Phuket and the rest of the tropics. Use a preventive lotion before swimming. Typically you get an itchy red rash. Use vinegar for immediate relief.

[mackayae]

Yes, this has been discussed before, but I do not have the link.

[LivinLOS]

How have you missed the numerous news reports and threads abouyt the box jellyfish here in the recent weeks ??

Surely the search engine with 'jelly' listed these ??

[Quero]

How have you missed the numerous news reports and threads abouyt the box jellyfish here in the recent weeks ??

Surely the search engine with 'jelly' listed these ??

Those big jellies with fish swimming in them don't sound like the box type. If they are what I've seen around very recently, they are called "white spotted jellyfish" (Phyllorhiza punctata if you want to google images), and their venom is particularly mild--they are not considered harmful to humans.

[saneroad]

Jellyfish are common in Phuket - I've seen many over the years and been stung by one in Railay Beach, Krabi. I once saw dozens of them beached ashore at a small bay near Nai Thon - needless to say I didn't swim that day.

A good remedy for stings is the local 'pak boong talay' (not sure the English name) that grows in abundance along beaches here. Break it up, mix with clean water (not sea water) and apply to the wound. A fisherman did that for my sting and it worked marvels!

The recent reports mentioned above are focused on box jellyfish. Perhaps unlikely that the ones you encountered at Nai Harn were box jellyfish, but the only way to know for certain is if the biological centre gets a sample and checks it.

Link to the latest box jelly story is here: http://phuketwan.com/tourism/box-jellyfish...ets-west-coast/

[huggybear]

I swim Nai Harn beach,

have lived here for 10 months and now that high season is here (low surf) I notice large jelly fish.

Yesterday I swam the entire bay and saw 6 large jelly fish-- size of basket balls. I had goggles and swam up to them. One had fangs almost like teeth on it with fish swimming around it.

I get little stings since late Nov which I assume are jelly fish. My arms itch for days after. some red welts.

Is this normal? the water was clear so I could see them but if cloudy, is there a danger running into this type.

I don't no anything about jelly fish.

Over Christmas the surf was large as Naiharn, many kids caught in rough waters--many rescues, just to be aware.

If the jelly fish has been discussed before please point me to that link.

thank you

Not just a recent thing. I have been swimming Nai Hairn regularly for about three months now, and would see many more than six, lurking about toward the bottom. I'd swim past more like 40. I keep a bottle of vinegar under my moto seat in case I get stung.

I was out of town over the holidays, bummed I missed the good surf at Nai Hairn. Definitely strange for this time of year...

[1000baht]

Sea lice (not really lice, but the larvae of sea creatures such as jellyfish). It is very common in Phuket and the rest of the tropics. Use a preventive lotion before swimming. Typically you get an itchy red rash. Use vinegar for immediate relief.

I have always wondered why when sometime i went swimming , felt like i was being eaten alive. What type of lotion is this, and where can i buy it? thanks.

[canadianmonkey]

2 days ago i saw 5 of them @ kata noi. I do not know if they were dead, some of them seemed to be only following the waves on top of the water. but sttill those goddamn things are 3x the size of my cranium, its really scary, All black too.

[1000baht]

Walked down to Nai Harn Yesterday, around 330 pm. I walked up to my knees in the water, and spotted two right away, walked east in the water and spotted two more, so i made a hasty retreat.

[saneroad]

Some pix and info on jellyfish seen in Patong today...

[Syl]

Box jellyfish discovered on Phuket's east coast. WHAT NEXT?

[mackayae]

Sea lice (not really lice, but the larvae of sea creatures such as jellyfish). It is very common in Phuket and the rest of the tropics. Use a preventive lotion before swimming. Typically you get an itchy red rash. Use vinegar for immediate relief.

I have always wondered why when sometime i went swimming , felt like i was being eaten alive. What type of lotion is this, and where can i buy it? thanks.

Seasafe is one name brand. Comes with or without sunblock. I order it from the States. Have not seen it here.

[surfer65]

I dare say Phuket is like any part of the world.

Down here in oz we get our times of the year when our beaches, (not all of them ) get hit with infestations of bluebottles, jellyfish, lice etc.

Have never lived in Thailand but am a regular visitor and have never noticed anything when I ve been there so have to think you guys are a tad unlucky at the moment.

[NBT TV Phuket]

VDO- News on jellyfish at popular beaches of Phuket

http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/prev...php?news_id=900

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIZNO_t04ZA

The outbreak of jellyfish on west coast beaches of Phuket is neither dangerous nor deadly.

The sudden appearance of many small jellyfish at popular beaches of Phuket such as Patong and Kata over the last weekend, caused some alarm among tourists and swimmers, with many not venturing in the water due to worries of being stung or even poisoned, due to recent media reports of deadly Box Jellyfish being found on the east coast mangroves of Phuket. Dr Somchai Bussarawit, Chief of Reference Collection & Phuket Aquarium, went to inspect some more samples on Nai Harn beach and told Andaman News that the jellyfish on the western beaches are of the ‘Cephea’ type, not dangerous nor poisonous, but could still cause skin rashes and stings from their tentacles, so he advised swimmers and beach goers to avoid touching them. It is suspected that their appearance may be temporary, due to the cool weather or strong waves earlier in the month, as he told us more on the beach:

Andaman News NBT (VHF dial) + Radio Thailand FM90.5 at 8.30am & perhaps repeats on Phuket Cable TV channel 1 at 7pm & 1am, broadcast to Phang Nga, Krabi & Phuket provinces & Mazz Radio FM108 at 7pm in Phuket, Tuesday 13th January 2009 & http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/ & www.YouTube.com/AndamanNews.com Send comments to [email protected]