A marine stinger sting can mean an afternoon of itching or a genuine emergency, The right response depends on which creature caused the sting. For every kind of sting there is a correct way to treat it, and that is what keeps a bad day at the beach from turning dangerous.
When is Marine Stinger Season?
Marine stinger season runs from November to May. In some northern areas, it can start as early as October. Marine stingers may be present throughout the whole year in tropical Queensland and the Northern Territory, yet the risk associated with the box jellyfish and irukandji is higher during these warmer months.
The Marine Life to Watch for at the Beach
Most of the marine life at an Australian beach cannot hurt you. The jellyfish drifting past in summer are usually harmless, and fish rarely pay people attention. The few marine stingers worth caution are the exception.
Irukandji Jellyfish, Box Jellyfish Stings, and Bluebottle Stings
The box jellyfish and the irukandji are the marine stingers behind the most dangerous stings in Australian waters. A sting from a box jellyfish brings instant, searing pain and angry welts where the tentacles touch your skin. The venom can affect your heart and breathing within minutes, which makes it potentially lethal.
An irukandji sting is sneakier. The first contact may feel like no more than a mild prick, then 5 to 45 minutes later severe pain through the back, belly and limbs, cramping, nausea, vomiting, sweating, and venom effects on the heart. Someone who looked fine walking out of the surf can become seriously ill within the hour.
The bluebottle is the marine stinger that swimmers encounter most often, and its sting is painful out of proportion to the harm it does. A bluebottle sting causes a red welt in a line of beads where the tentacle wrapped around the skin, with sharp local pain and itching. It rarely turns into anything more serious.
Stonefish, Stingrays, and More
Some marine stingers strike from below. Stepping on a stonefish drives its spines into your foot and delivers venom that brings excruciating pain, swelling and, in rare cases, and in rare cases trouble breathing, a drop in blood pressure, or an irregular heartbeat.
A stingray strikes with the barbed spine on its tail which can leave a deep gash or a stab wound, and pieces of spine may stay in the wound and need surgery to remove.
The same goes for the other venomous fish along the coast. Catfish, the freshwater bullrout and the scorpionfish all sting using spines.
First Aid for When You Get Stung
Get the person out of the water and keep them still and calm. If they stop responding or stop breathing normally, call Triple Zero and start CPR. Call Triple Zero for any sting that spreads past one limb, covers a large area, or brings whole-body symptoms like cramping, vomiting or trouble breathing. Never rinse a sting with fresh water or let the person rub it, since both can set off stingers that have not yet fired.
Treat any jellyfish sting as the dangerous kind. Douse it with vinegar for at least 30 seconds to stop the stinging cells from firing more venom, then call Triple Zero. For bluebottles, skip the vinegar, and just lift off any clinging tentacles before rinsing the sting seawater. Then hold the area in hot water, around 45 degrees and never scalding, for 20 minutes, or use cold packs where hot water is out of reach.
For a puncture from a stonefish, stingray, or other spined fish, soak the wound in hot water between 43 and 45 degrees for up to 30 minutes to break down the venom and dull the pain. Do not bind the limb or use a pressure bandage, which traps the venom in a fish sting.
Enrol in First Aid Training
The outcome of a marine stinger sting rests on the first response far more than on the creature that caused it. A calm, correct start can hold even a serious sting steady until an ambulance arrives. A first aid course builds the trained, steady response that takes over when pain and alarm would otherwise leave you guessing. You could be the person who turns someone’s worst minutes around.
FAQs
What Is Irukandji Syndrome?
Irukandji syndrome is the severe pain through the back and limbs, cramping, nausea, vomiting, sweating, racing heart, and a sudden sense that something is badly wrong caused from an Irukandji sting.
Do Stinger Nets Keep Out Irukandji?
No. These jellyfish are small enough to slip through the mesh.
How Long Does Bluebottle Sting Pain Last?
The sharp pain of a bluebottle sting usually eases within an hour or two. Pain that keeps building or spreads well beyond the sting site is a reason to see a doctor.
