Box Jellyfish

[Thian]

I just saw the videonews about the Box Jellyfish  swimming in Samui beaches. Is that a new phenomenon or are they always there? 

 

Hua Hin also has some similar dangerous jellyfish so my question is which beaches have them and when?

 

We planned some trips to the beach but don't want to be near them. Are they also in the Andaman sea?

[OMGImInPattaya]

Box jellies are endemic to just about all the seas of SE Asia and Australasia...just not too common. If memory serves, they generally appear closer to shore during the rainy season in the particular area. Many report of them in the Gulf of Siam...Tao, Samui, Phanghan. I don't recall reports of them on the Andaman side, however. Maybe that's outside their range.

[dddave]

Nasty they are.  Years ago, I took my GF to Hua Hin, her first time ever at the ocean. She was having a great time playing in the surf when her happy laughter suddenly turned into screams.  She had been stung across both legs at the knees.  

Predictably, there was virtually no first aid available at the beach and the local medical clinic just gave her some general purpose lotion: useless.

She quickly developed nasty welts and festering lesions where she had been stung.  Visits to Bumrungrad and several other clinics and hospitals resulted in little relief and things dragged on for 6 more months.  Finally, somebody said they had read that Yanhee Hospital had the best dermatology department in Thailand.  Yanhee specializes in cosmetic and gender reassignment surgery. As soon as they saw her, they called in a Dermatologist who had studies in Australia where jellyfish stings are fairly common and he did an amazing job, she was pain free within a few days and 75% of the scars disappeared.

She still likes the water and the beach but at the slightest sign of jellyfish, she's outta there.

[tifino]

 

be extra careful after a massive storm, or swimming near the froth near rocks

- the jellyfish can easily be broken up from the thrashing, therefore spreads the danger further afield

[Thian]

1 hour ago, OMGImInPattaya said:

Box jellies are endemic to just about all the seas of SE Asia and Australasia...just not too common. If memory serves, they generally appear closer to shore during the rainy season in the particular area. Many report of them in the Gulf of Siam...Tao, Samui, Phanghan. I don't recall reports of them on the Andaman side, however. Maybe that's outside their range.

 

I never knew they also were around Samui, i 've been there several times and always swim in the sea of course.

 

They can really ruin ones holiday, my friend still has burnwounds all over her body..they will never disappear.

 

Swimming in the sea is a lot more fun than in a pool so i would like to know where it's safe to go. Our plan was to visit the Similan islands but if they are there as well we will change the plans.

 

But even in Huahin i have never seen any warnings for jellyfish, they only had a net in the sea but i wonder if that really helps. I don't want to swim behind a net though.

[stupidfarang]

In April this year at Thung Wulalaen Beach Chumphon (Gulf of Thailand) I saw a girl get stung by a Box Jelly. Have not heard of any Box Jelly in June, July August and there is lots of rain at the moment. Not sure if they are seasonal. I do know there are other jellies around that give a slight sting but nothing serious 

[OMGImInPattaya]

Just Google Samui and box jellyfish or Thailand and box jellyfish to find the reports. I'm a scuba diver and have dived hundreds of times at all the main dive sites throughout Thailand and SE Asia and never been stung by a Box, or any, jellyfish nor do I know any fellow diver who has been stung by a box-jelly. However, it does happen a few times a year and makes the news...what we don't know is how often it happens and doesn't make the news. This is not the sort of thing that the TAT sends out press releases about.

 

All that being said, it's a risk of going in the ocean in SE Asia...but a very small risk...probably about on par as being bitten by a shark or stung by a stingray. I wouldn't worry about it...but that's me. If you want to be completely safe, you can wear a dive-skin, which is a bodysuit of very thin spandex type material and ladies can do the same or a burkini as the stinging darts (not the tenticles but the nemocysts) are very short and wouldn't penetrate such a suit.

[Thian]

9 minutes ago, OMGImInPattaya said:

Just Google Samui and box jellyfish or Thailand and box jellyfish to find the reports. I'm a scuba diver and have dived hundreds of times at all the main dive sites throughout Thailand and SE Asia and never been stung by a Box, or any, jellyfish nor do I know any fellow diver who has been stung by a box-jelly. However, it does happen a few times a year and makes the news...what we don't know is how often it happens and doesn't make the news. This is not the sort of thing that the TAT sends out press releases about.

 

All that being said, it's a risk of going in the ocean in SE Asia...but a very small risk...probably about on par as being bitten by a shark or stung by a stingray. I wouldn't worry about it...but that's me. If you want to be completely safe, you can wear a dive-skin, which is a bodysuit of very thin spandex type material and ladies can do the same or a burkini as the stinging darts (not the tenticles but the nemocysts) are very short and wouldn't penetrate such a suit.

 

Divers probably see them coming underwater, as a swimmer i never look underwater. I just run into it and make a dive.

If i need a divesuit i won't even go swimming, that's no option. Than the swimmingpool is a better option but we have one in our moobaan.

 

This is what i found with Google... Box Jellyfish are initially found off the beaches of Ko Lanta and Hat Nopparatthara – Mu Ko Phi Phi National Marine Park off Krabi province, Nam Bo Bay in Phuket province and often off Hua Hin and Cha-am Beaches in Phetchaburi province, as well as Ko Tao in Chumphon province, Ko Samui, and Ko Pha Ngan in Surat Thani province.

 

http://www.tatnews.org/jellyfish-warning-for-travellers-swimming-in-thailand/

 

Also koh phi phi is in the list, so they are also in the andaman sea. 

 

 

[seajae]

Aussie beaches usually have vinegar handy for jelly fish, there was some discussion a while back that it didnt work but that has been de bunked. They have been using vinegar for many years on the stings, applied liberally it does help. 

[dick dasterdly]

My first Thailand holiday was to Thailand Cha-Am in August, around 20 years ago.  We were told by pretty much everyone to keep out of the sea as there were a few nasty jellyfish leaving long scars in the water that time of year.  A couple of locals showed us their scars to reinforce the point.

 

It seems times have changed as tourists in that area are no longer being given the same warnings  .

 

As far as I can make out, the box jellyfish are pretty rare - and so its down to luck.

 

People have been stung in Phuket and other areas locally too.

 

Edit - But its still rare and down to luck.  Not that this will comfort any of the unlucky people that were stung by box jellyfish.

[llso]

 I lived in Hua Hin for many years and seen quite a bit of Jellyfish. Late summer seems to be the best time for them and they wash up near shore at high tide. Being knowledgeable in Marine science I limited my time in the water knowing what was potentially out there. I did get some minor stings on occasion and vinegar helps to neutralize the venom. I have heard of some very  rare cases of Box Jellyfish around Samui. They are more prevalent further South,especially Australia. I have never heard of any near Hua Hin but is certainly possible. Box Jellyfish are extremely venomous and in some instances fatal.

[dick dasterdly]

20 minutes ago, llso said:

 I lived in Hua Hin for many years and seen quite a bit of Jellyfish. Late summer seems to be the best time for them and they wash up near shore at high tide. Being knowledgeable in Marine science I limited my time in the water knowing what was potentially out there. I did get some minor stings on occasion and vinegar helps to neutralize the venom. I have heard of some very  rare cases of Box Jellyfish around Samui. They are more prevalent further South,especially Australia. I have never heard of any near Hua Hin but is certainly possible. Box Jellyfish are extremely venomous and in some instances fatal.

You're saying that there aren't nasty jellyfish (in the rainy season) that leave horrible scars in the Hua Hin area?

 

I beg to differ having seen the evidence from those locals that had bad scarring. 

[Peterw42]

My beach at Bangsaen (between Bkk and Pattaya) has a vinegar first aid stations along the beach. A box and signs in Thai and English. I have never actually checked to see if its full, but its there.

[llso]

 I'm not saying that there aren't stinging Jellyfish in the water at Hua Hin. I mentioned I had been stung myself. What I was saying that I personally wasn't aware of any "Box Jellyfish" stings around Hua Hin.

[dick dasterdly]

2 minutes ago, llso said:

 I'm not saying that there aren't stinging Jellyfish in the water at Hua Hin. I mentioned I had been stung myself. What I was saying that I personally wasn't aware of any "Box Jellyfish" stings around Hua Hin.

Fair enough.

 

I'm just saying that there are a few v nasty jellyfish in the Hua Hin area during rainy season.  Not box-jellyfish, but still bad enough to leave horrendous scarring.

[dick dasterdly]

25 minutes ago, llso said:

 I lived in Hua Hin for many years and seen quite a bit of Jellyfish. Late summer seems to be the best time for them and they wash up near shore at high tide. Being knowledgeable in Marine science I limited my time in the water knowing what was potentially out there. I did get some minor stings on occasion and vinegar helps to neutralize the venom. I have heard of some very  rare cases of Box Jellyfish around Samui. They are more prevalent further South,especially Australia. I have never heard of any near Hua Hin but is certainly possible. Box Jellyfish are extremely venomous and in some instances fatal.

Actually, as you're a marine scientist, I'd be interested to know the species of jellyfish that left those scars.

 

That sounded dismissive, and I honestly didn't mean it that way - I'd be genuinely interested to learn the species of jellyfish.

[dddave]

I cant be sure that the Jellyfish that stung my GF as described in my earlier post was actually a "Box Jellyfish"  It was an interesting situation.

There were a large number of dead jellyfish on the beach at the time. These were round, white and about the size of a small dinner plate.  We were told this variety did not have streaming stingers and were not dangerous. 

The variety that stung her were visible in the surf. They were rust colored and about the size and shape of a sponge one would use washing a car.  You could see the streamers coming off their bodies, maybe half a meter or a bit longer. If one gets too close and you are down current, the streamers can get you.  I don't know if this variety was actually the "Box" variety but stings were very powerful and painful.

I have been told that if no vinegar is immediately available to treat a sting, using human urine is better than doing nothing.

[OMGImInPattaya]

Some Google search links for box-jellies and Thailand...the Phuket Wan story is particularly chilling...I knew they were present in Thai waters but didn't realize the frequency of deadly attacks.

 

http://phuketwan.com/tourism/box-jellyfish-deaths-mean-thailand-act-protect-tourists-says-expert-23321/

 

http://www.tatnews.org/jellyfish-warning-for-travellers-swimming-in-thailand/

 

http://thaiboxjellyfish.blogspot.com

 

 

[OMGImInPattaya]

T-V thread on boxies, with marine biologists advice on dealing with them...

 

Map of Thai attacks...

 

[manfredtillmann]

On 8/17/2016 at 10:09 AM, seajae said:

Aussie beaches usually have vinegar handy for jelly fish, there was some discussion a while back that it didnt work but that has been de bunked. They have been using vinegar for many years on the stings, applied liberally it does help. 

on box jelly fish stings??? my a..e. smarten up, mate! you might be thinking of blue bottles...

[chefseph]

Last October a 2 young German tourists were stung by a box jellyfish.  Sadly, one of them didn't make it.

 

iirc they had gone swimming evening or night time which obviously  makes seeing the jellyfish near impossible.

[Speedo1968]

I thought sea water was the best thing to pour over jelly fish stings, as it does not set off an allergic response in the stinger ?

There again ideas / solutions change all the time ...

 

Blue bottles - those long long stingers don't give you much chance of being missed by them, I used to see BB's back in the 60's and 70's in Manly and Bondi etc - really glad there not here - Yet ! - in Thailand, or are they ?

[cumgranosalum]

On August 16, 2016 at 8:11 PM, OMGImInPattaya said:

Box jellies are endemic to just about all the seas of SE Asia and Australasia...just not too common. If memory serves, they generally appear closer to shore during the rainy season in the particular area. Many report of them in the Gulf of Siam...Tao, Samui, Phanghan. I don't recall reports of them on the Andaman side, however. Maybe that's outside their range.

There have been box jelly and suspected box jelly incidents for decades on both sides of the peninsular and across the Guld of Siam.

[cumgranosalum]

On August 22, 2016 at 0:43 PM, Speedo1968 said:

I thought sea water was the best thing to pour over jelly fish stings, as it does not set off an allergic response in the stinger ?

There again ideas / solutions change all the time ...

 

Blue bottles - those long long stingers don't give you much chance of being missed by them, I used to see BB's back in the 60's and 70's in Manly and Bondi etc - really glad there not here - Yet ! - in Thailand, or are they ?

Box Jellies are n't actually a "true" jelly fish - they have a strong and individual venom. It is accepted practice that the first thing to do is apply vinegar - this DOESN"T ease pain it paralyses the stinging mechanisms which can be triggered by removal of the thread which  can increase the chance of death.

[cumgranosalum]

there seems to be a warning we can take from this thread.....if you have the misfortune to be sting by a jellyfish in Thailand make sure that a TV member is not allowed anywhere near you - their depth of ignorance on this creature could lead them to take actions that could kill you.

[cumgranosalum]

On August 19, 2016 at 7:42 PM, manfredtillmann said:

on box jelly fish stings??? my a..e. smarten up, mate! you might be thinking of blue bottles...

Oh dear - manfred - vinegar is the first aid tip for BOX JELLIES - it can make bluebottles worse.

 

The vinegar is to paralyse the stinging process - not relieve pain.

[Speedo1968]

9 hours ago, cumgranosalum said:

there seems to be a warning we can take from this thread.....if you have the misfortune to be sting by a jellyfish in Thailand make sure that a TV member is not allowed anywhere near you - their depth of ignorance on this creature could lead them to take actions that could kill you.

Thank you for pointing out my "ignorance"