Deadly man-of-war spotted off Phuket beaches

[snoop1130]

Deadly man-of-war spotted off Phuket beaches

Kongleaphy Keam

Man-of-War found at Naithon Beach. Photo: Phuket Lifeguard Service Facebook

PHUKET:-- Deadly Portuguese Man-of-War have been spotted floating off several of Phukets popular beaches this week.

Phuket Lifeguard Club President Prathaiyut Chuayuan told the Phuket Gazette today that the venomous siphonophore are a common occurrence off Phuket shores during the monsoon season and warned swimmers to be extra vigilant to ensure they do not risk getting stung by them.

The sting of a Portuguese man-of-war can sometimes be fatal for humans.

Full Story: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Deadly-manofwar-spotted-off-Phuket-beaches/64220?desktopversion

-- Phuket Gazette 2016-07-15

[manfredtillmann]

they are really painful to encounter, particularly on your soft parts...

but they do not kill you.

known in other parts of the civilised world as 'blue bottles', they could perhaps trigger a secondary episode,

as in a heart attack or so, but they do not kill you as such. 100%!

[cockatoowho]

Can't wait for TAT spin on this one..

[daveAustin]

Can't wait for TAT spin on this one..

They will tell us that the Portuguese are not quality tourists.

[Thian]

Not sure if she was bitten by the same jellyfish but my friend got bitten/stung in Hua Hin while swimming 10 metre of the beach.

She had 2nd degree burnwounds all over her body, very long ones. She swam into a bunch of tentacles but was lucky enough to escape finally.

They are very dangerous so it's good the Thai warn for them.

[daoyai]

they are really painful to encounter, particularly on your soft parts...

but they do not kill you.

known in other parts of the civilised world as 'blue bottles', they could perhaps trigger a secondary episode,

as in a heart attack or so, but they do not kill you as such. 100%!

Known as Portogee man of war in Hawai'i common during strong winds they have no locamtion of their own so the wind propels them like a sailing ship, (a man of war, old term for a war ship) most dangerous to people alergic to bee stings, long thread like tentacles can inflict many stings.

[futsukayoi]

Not sure if she was bitten by the same jellyfish but my friend got bitten/stung in Hua Hin while swimming 10 metre of the beach.

She had 2nd degree burnwounds all over her body, very long ones. She swam into a bunch of tentacles but was lucky enough to escape finally.

They are very dangerous so it's good the Thai warn for them.

Being pedantic the Portuguese Man of War is not a jellyfish. It is a colony of many individual organisms while jellyfish are single multi celled organisms.

[MeHere]

My partner got stung in Hua Hin. She was in a lot of pain (similar to a burn), but I don't think the Man of War type are in that area.... There is a certain season that the jellyfish are very prevalent there in Hua Hin. I've found the best immediate fix for a jellyfish sting is to douse the affected area with vinegar, it helps alleviate the pain.

[nakhonandy]

They generally are painful and can leave red scars.

It is very rare that their stings are fatal although they can trigger an allergy type reaction in some people.

Rinse off with salt water and then vinegar will help.

[DrTuner]

That water looks oh so beckoning, a true tropical paradise.

[metisdead]

Nonsense troll posts have been removed.

[bearpolar]

Should be safe if you wear proper attire to protect yourself from the sun as in semi long swimsuit and long sleeves anti UV water shirts?

[mcfish]

Are these what we refer to in OZ as blue bottles? hardly deadly

[farcanell]

My partner got stung in Hua Hin. She was in a lot of pain (similar to a burn), but I don't think the Man of War type are in that area.... There is a certain season that the jellyfish are very prevalent there in Hua Hin. I've found the best immediate fix for a jellyfish sting is to douse the affected area with vinegar, it helps alleviate the pain.

Yep... Vinegar works... (Acetic acid)

Or if your so inclined, get the missus to pee on it (Uric acid) ????

[ozyjon]

Yes these are the babies on the East Coast of Australia,

the further north of Sydney you go the smaller and

deadlier they become, Cairns is especially dangerous

certain parts of the year.

[masuk]

My partner got stung in Hua Hin. She was in a lot of pain (similar to a burn), but I don't think the Man of War type are in that area.... There is a certain season that the jellyfish are very prevalent there in Hua Hin. I've found the best immediate fix for a jellyfish sting is to douse the affected area with vinegar, it helps alleviate the pain.

Yes, these are also called blue bottles. I've been stung a few times in Western Australia.

Vinegar is the best thing to use.

DO NOT confuse these with the more deadly types found on the northern coasts of Australia.

[daveAustin]

Chaps, I think the ones in HH are box jelly fish. Real nasty, don't go in the water at all if they're about.

[NamKangMan]

Can't wait for TAT spin on this one..

Perhaps they could spin it as a Portuguese man-of-war evacuation drill.

[webfact]

Portuguese man o’ war land at Patong beach
Tanyaluk Sakoot


Lifeguards have collected Portuguese man o’ war found on Patong Beach. Photo: Phuket Lifeguard Club

PHUKET: -- The Phuket Lifeguard Club has warned beach-goers that Portuguese man o’ war stingers have been found along Patong Beach.

“Portuguese man o’ war were found on the sand along Patong beach on Friday (July 15),” Phuket Lifeguard Club Chief Prathaiyuth Chuayuan told The Phuket News today (July 18)

“We are keeping an eye on the situation and I have urged lifeguards to be prepared if anyone, especially tourists, are stung by them. Lifeguards are to be ready for any such instances, and ready to provide first aid and arrange emergency transport to hospital if needed,” he said.

“Although we have yet to receive any reports of anyone being stung, please be careful when visiting the beach,” he added.

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/portuguese-man-o-war-land-at-patong-beach-58305.php


-- Phuket News 2016-07-18

[avander]

Looks like the one in Oz we call a "bluebottle" which may mean that they are also a (type of?) Portugese man o'war. The one shown here seems to have thicker stingers than the Oz bluebottles which also have quite long tentacles which can wrap themselves around your body and cause a nasty welt not to mention the "stinging/itch". Been stung many times but lucky to never need any special treatment apart from vinegar or similar.

[jagfx]

The headline may be a little deceiving as these types of jellyfish are generally not responsible for fatal attacks. They are basically the same as the Bluebottle jellyfish which will give you a real nasty sting. They are not the Box jellyfish, or Stingers as they are sometimes called, that are found in northern Oz. These suckers can kill you. Now having said that, there has been a couple of Box jellyfish related deaths in Koh Samui in the last couple of years, so they appear to be in Thai waters.

With regards to Hua Hin, not sure what type are there. Walking along the beach, I came across plenty of huge blubbery type ones but they don't have much in the way of tentacles. But I have seen some quite savage injuries from jellyfish stings in Hua Hin waters, so not sure if they are caused by the same ones washed up on the beach. I guess the govt has to correctly identify which ones are in what waters and advise accordingly. I'll swim in the same water as Bluebottles, but I'd be staying clear of waters that had Box Jellyfish loitering. Just not worth the risk...

[Catoni]

My partner got stung in Hua Hin. She was in a lot of pain (similar to a burn), but I don't think the Man of War type are in that area.... There is a certain season that the jellyfish are very prevalent there in Hua Hin. I've found the best immediate fix for a jellyfish sting is to douse the affected area with vinegar, it helps alleviate the pain.

Yep... Vinegar works... (Acetic acid)

Or if your so inclined, get the missus to pee on it (Uric acid) ????

Yes... as nasty as it sounds to some people, fresh warm pee works well on Portuguese Man-of War stings and the stings of various types of Jellyfish, but not as effective as a vinegar/baking soda paste.

• Remove stingers. Remove any pieces of jellyfish tentacle in your skin by rinsing the wound with seawater. You can also try gently scraping off the stingers with the edge of an ID card or a credit card. Avoid getting sand on the wound. And don't rinse with fresh water or rub the area with a towel, as these actions may activate more stingers.
• Rinse with vinegar or apply a baking soda paste. Rinse the affected area with vinegar for about 30 seconds. Or apply a paste of baking soda and seawater. Each method may deactivate the stingers of some types of jellyfish.
• Take a hot shower or apply ice packs. Hot water — as hot as you can tolerate but not above 113 F (45 C) — and ice packs may help ease pain.
• Take a pain reliever and apply lotions. Apply calamine lotion or lidocaine to help relieve itching and discomfort.

[webfact]

Deadly Portuguese man o’ war jellyfish land at Patong beach

PHUKET: -- Beach goers to Phuket this week are warned of the deadly jellyfish called "Portuguese man o’ war" after they were washed ashore on Patong beach.

The appearance of one the deadliest jelly fish species has alarmed lifeguards and local authorities to put up red signs on the beach warning tourists to take extreme caution while go swimming in the sea at Patong beach as this species is dangerous if is stung by it.

The warning followed lifeguards reporting that a large number of Portuguese man o’ war had been washed ashore at Surin beach, north of Patong, last Wednesday.

The Phuket Lifeguard Club said the tentacles of the Portuguese man o’ war contain venom, and should not be touched as it can cause severe pain, sometimes worse if the person stung has an allergic reaction to it.

Lifeguards have collected a large number of them washed ashore on Patong beach and there might be also on other beaches where they are inspecting.

They said during this monsoon season a varieties of jellyfish were washed ashore by strong winds, including this deadly species.

A lifeguard on the beach said anyone got stung by the jellyfish is advised not to use vinegar as it won’t work. Only sea water is advised as first aid treatment.

He said lifeguards are ready for any such instances, and ready to provide first aid and arrange emergency transport to hospital if needed.

The Portuguese man o’ war, or scientifically called Physalia is often called a jellyfish, but is actually a species of siphonophore, a group of animals that are closely related to jellyfish.

A siphonophore is unusual in that it is comprised of a colony of specialized, genetically identical individuals called zooids — clones — with various forms and functions, all working together as one. Each of the four specialized parts of a man o’ war is responsible for a specific task, such as floating, capturing prey, feeding, and reproduction. Found mostly in tropical and subtropical seas, men o’ war are propelled by winds and ocean currents alone, and sometimes float in legions of 1,000 or more.

Resembling an 18th-century Portuguese warship under full sail, the man o’ war is recognized by its balloon-like float, which may be blue, violet, or pink and rises up to six inches above the waterline.

Lurking below the float are long strands of tentacles and polyps that grow to an average of 30 feet and may extend by as much as 100 feet.

The tentacles contain stinging nematocysts, microscopic capsules loaded with coiled, barbed tubes that deliver venom capable of paralyzing and killing small fish and crustaceans. While the man o’ war’s sting is rarely deadly to people, it packs a painful punch and causes welts on exposed skin.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/deadly-portuguese-man-o-war-jellyfish-land-patong-beach/


-- Thai PBS 2016-07-19

[jak2002003]

Jelly bean with a sting.

[dick dasterdly]

Not sure if she was bitten by the same jellyfish but my friend got bitten/stung in Hua Hin while swimming 10 metre of the beach.

She had 2nd degree burnwounds all over her body, very long ones. She swam into a bunch of tentacles but was lucky enough to escape finally.

They are very dangerous so it's good the Thai warn for them.

My first holiday to Thailand was in Cha-Am and during the rainy season. We were warned that there were nasty jellyfish in the water during that season, that left scarring. We also saw the awful scars on a couple of locals.

In short - even then it was known in that area (Cha-Am/Hua Hin) and the few Western tourists were warned.

Edit - It was a couple of decades ago and yes, the scars shown to us by the locals were v long.

I gather dangerous jellyfish on Phuket are a recent phenomenon?

Edited July 19, 2016 by dick dasterdly

[Felt 35]

Not sure if she was bitten by the same jellyfish but my friend got bitten/stung in Hua Hin while swimming 10 metre of the beach.

She had 2nd degree burnwounds all over her body, very long ones. She swam into a bunch of tentacles but was lucky enough to escape finally.

They are very dangerous so it's good the Thai warn for them.

My first holiday to Thailand was in Cha-Am and during the rainy season. We were warned that there were nasty jellyfish in the water during that season, that left scarring. We also saw the awful scars on a couple of locals.

In short - even then it was known in that area (Cha-Am/Hua Hin) and the few Western tourists were warned.

Edit - It was a couple of decades ago and yes, the scars shown to us by the locals were v long.

I gather dangerous jellyfish on Phuket are a recent phenomenon?

The jellyfish have ben around but the amount have increased due to pollution of the ocean. On another note Phuket have a monsoon season just as Mount Everest have and then climbers usually stay away.

[ad61]

Scary scars

[dick dasterdly]

Scary scars

Yes! They're the scars I saw when being warned out of the sea in Cha-Am a couple of decades ago!

[Thian]

Scary scars

This is what my friend looked like but after 3-4 months when i finally met her again. She really had burn-wounds 2nd degree, open wounds and wider then the man on the pic has.

Australia has another nasty jellyfish, it's very small and purple and also very dangerous.

Why the Thai don't have vinegarbottles every 250 metres on the beach like they do in Australia? Or safetynets at the swimming area's like in Hua Hin?