Archive for the 'Jellyfish' Category
Thursday, December 31st, 2009
Ben Southall, who won ‘the best job in the world’, had a brush with death after being stung by a poisonous jellyfish.
Southall, 34, beat out nearly 35,000 applicants from around the world earlier this year to be awarded the $100k six-month job as ‘caretaker’ of a string of islands on the famous Great Barrier Reef.
After enjoying a post-Christmas jet ski session with some friends he climbed off the back of the ski and onto the beach and felt a small bee-like sting on his forearm. What he didn’t realize at the time was that he had been stung by an Irukandji jellyfish, which is no bigger than a fingernail but can be deadly.
Luckily, Ben says he’s now feeling 100 per cent again.
[source]
Monday, December 28th, 2009
Rachel Shardlow, 10, nearly died when she got tangled in jellyfish tentacles while swimming with her brother in the Calliope River in Australia. Her brother helped her out of the water but Rachel lost consciousness and collapsed at the riverbank. Some quick-thinking campers doused her in vinegar to stop more venom entering her system.
Rachel’s mother drove her to meet paramedics near the remote campsite but her heart stopped on the way and her father had to perform CPR.
FYI: A box jellyfish can kill an adult in less than four minutes.
Luckily, Rachel is recovering nicely.
[source + video]
Friday, September 11th, 2009
Watch the video here.
Wednesday, September 9th, 2009
A 41-year-old man was arrested on Monday at at Madeira Beach, FL after witnesses said he repeatedly pretended to drown, then allegedly began tossing jellyfish at nearby teenagers. According to a sheriff’s office report, Keith Edward Marriott caused “concern for his safety” when he repeatedly submerged himself and floated back to the top of the water. He was also “loud and disruptive.”
He then started throwing the sea creatures.
Marriott was arrested and charged with disorderly intoxication and carrying a concealed weapon. According to the St. Petersburg Times, Marriott was carrying a pocketknife in his shorts.
Jail records indicate that Marriott was being held on $250 bond.
[source]
Friday, September 4th, 2009
Watch your step if you’re heading to the beaches near Volusia County this holiday weekend. Jellyfish are piling up all over the beaches and there’s even more of ‘em in the water. Some are as big as hubcaps, but it’s the smaller ones you gotta watch out for. I hear they pack quite a punch.
[source]
Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009
Vacationers in Korea will (hopefully) be able to stop worrying about the massive swarms of jellyfish that have been plaguing the beaches and enjoy some splish-splash time.
Filefish have a taste for jellies, and 280,000 of the 2″ fish were released into the waters of Haeundae and Songjeong beaches on Tuesday.
I just hope they don’t like to nibble on the humans.
[source]
Wednesday, May 13th, 2009
A 4ft jellyfish – one of the biggest to be found in Britain – washed up on a popular spot on the coast of north Devon. Experts say the 4ft Rootmouth Jellyfish, nicknamed the Dustbin lid or Sea Mushroom, can cause a pretty painful rash if you come into contact with it’s tentacles.
The jellyfish was caught on camera by photographer Peter Stapleton who is keeping the exact location secret to avoid panic.
[source]
Saturday, January 10th, 2009
Swimmers, beware! It’s man-of-war season in South Florida!
Jellyfish or man-of-wars stung more than 24 swimmers during an event Sunday. And about 75 participants in a Sunday event in Fort Lauderdale also received treatment.
Stings from jellies cause welts and itching. They linger in South Florida waters all year, but March usually marks the end of the Portuguese man-of-war season.
Keep your vinegar and meat tenderizer nearby.
[source]
Monday, December 22nd, 2008
As of 1:00 pm Sunday, at least 1,700 box jellyfish were found at Waikiki beaches, with up to 170 stings!
Box jellyfish show up around about once a month, 7-10 days after the full moon, but this month it’s looking like the numbers could be record-breaking. We’ll keep you posted.
Keep your tootsies outta the water!
[source]
