Even as a kid, I’ve always feared the Sea Wasp, a commonly used term to describe the deadlier species of the dreaded box jellyfish, because a book I bought as a kid about the deadliest denizens of the deep, listed it as #1 on their countdown, way above any shark, any poisonous fish, swimming the seas and oceans. The worst kinds of box jellyfish encounters can kill a person in minutes. And what’s scary is, it’s found in our general area, and death rates are actually higher in the Philippines than it is in Australia. But this is attributed more to the lack of medical facilities and lack of anti venom supplies, than it is to higher occurrence. Many sources point to vinegar as the singular best first aid to jellyfish sting, not urine, lemon juice, papaya, alcohol or other popular remedies. So they say always bring a packet of vinegar with you on trips to the beach as part of your first aid kit. Why the sudden interest in the box jelly? I’ve been back in the water lately, and an upcoming trip to a beach area has got me paranoid. And seeing this video didn’t help either. Nightmares that I used to have as a kid about this invisible stealth demon in the calm sea waters have come to haunt me once again. I hate them, and I hope I never come anywhere near them. A good tip: once you feel some jelly stings, even just those small ones that don’t amount to anything more than little pinches, leave the water at once. If some are in the water, more are likely in the vicinity. And on that note, happy swimming!
