Posts

Showing posts from 2012

Venom Discovery BUT Prevention Still the Key

Image
Australia's Sydney Morning Herald on 13 December, 2012 published a story on scientists learning more about the lethal toxin of the box jellyfish and how to combat it.

Satun Province Signs On to Jellyfish Safety

Image
Thailand's Andaman Sea province of Satun has received a safety boost with the strategic  implementation of jellyfish information signs and some first aid vinegar stations.

Serious Box Jellyfish Sting on Koh Kood

Image
Lucky to survive, a 2 year old girl is the latest victim of severe multi-tentacle box jellyfish envenomation in the Gulf of Thailand, this time on the small resort island of Koh Kood.

Koh Mak's Vinegar Comes to the Rescue

Image
Vinegar stations installed in 2012 on Koh Mak have paid off already - just ask a young French girl and her family.

Kids TV Show on Box Jellyfish

Image
Dr Lisa loves jellyfish. From the tips of their tender tentacles to the glint in their beady eyes, Dr Lisa likes what she sees. And she has seen it all, up close through microscope and personal via sting. World renowned jellyfish expert Dr Lisa-ann Gershwin is an American marine biologist based in Australia. She has researched and written extensively on the subject and here on an Australian Children's TV program, 'Creature Features', Dr Lisa talks to the kids about her passion for jellyfish and what should be done to avoid and treat stings.

Box Jellyfish & Koh Samui - Local Dive Expert Tells

Image
There's been a lot of focus on Phuket and the issue of box jellyfish - are they, aren't they, do we, don't we, should you, shouldn't you .. across the isthmus in the Gulf of Thailand is another hugely popular resort island where the evidence of box jellyfish in the water is clearer.

Pollution Creates Box Jellyfish Problem

Image
The tentacle connection is clear - pollution creates the box jellyfish problem.

Serious Box Jellyfish Sting in Phuket Region or Phangnga Region or was it Hua Hin Region??

Image
This is not the ambulance that transported British woman Ms Sam Webster on a 6-hour hell ride from a popular west Phuket beach to the Bangkok Phuket Hospital some 10-15kms away.

Serious Box Jellyfish Sting in Phuket Region

Image
Britain's Daily Mail newspaper reported this week on the sting to Ms Sam Webster with a feature article highlighting the traumatic experience endured somewhere in the Phuket vicinity.

Bravo Berjaya Resort Langkawi - Rising Above Official Apathy

Image
Great to hear that the Berjaya Resort Langkawi has continued to buck the trend of apathy, irresponsibility and disdain that to this day defines the attitude of Malaysia on the public health issue of box jellyfish stings that country refuses to address.

Shocking Images of a Samui Sting

Image
On March 25, 2012 an American woman survived a serious box jellyfish sting received when swimming in the north of Koh Samui. She received hospitalisation and medication. The dermo-necrotic element of the venom killed the skin area and she has had to endure repeated plastic surgery episodes to repair the damage.

One Out of the Box - Khao Lak Cops A Whack!

Image
Numerous jellyfish stings have been reported here in recent months with some appearing to be from various species of box jellyfish and others not. Of course, as mentioned in previous posts, this blog is not a sting reporting system so it is anyone's guess as to how many stings are occurring at any moment. We know of stings around Railay, Phuket, Samui and Koh Kood but here's one from Khao Lak on June 30, 2012 - a location that is not often reported although there was a solid box jellyfish sting report from a Khao Lak beach in April, 2012.

Safety First - Koh Mak Now Leads The Way!

Image
Thanks to 'Thailandboxjellyfish: Facts about Box Jellyfish in Thailand & Malaysia' for this story that sums up the significant developments on Koh Mak because it is written from such a personal perspective. Congratulations to all on Koh Mak for taking this issue seriously and actually doing something about it. Doing something positive for all water users, tourists and locals, that will ultimately improve tourism numbers and save lives. This little island is also displaying a big heart in its approach to visitor welfare, it is actually taking responsibility and a duty of care in numerous areas including environmental and ecological improvements, health and safety initiatives and outstanding public/tourist relations. Some of these images below tell much of the story but we will post more in the near the future. This is great stuff and hopefully some of the bigger resort areas and islands in Thailand will take note and follow suit.

Numbers Aren't Everything

Image
We need to get a few things clear when it comes to jellyfish in Thailand and the region which includes Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Brunei and Indonesia - effectively the entire Indo-Pacific region including northern Australia and beyond which could include China, Japan, India, Sri Lanka, New Guinea .. we need to get the numbers straight .. don't we?

Suit Your Style?

Image
Protective lycra suits are functional not fashionable. Well, they were until Swedish retail clothing giant H&M released their latest Summer swimwear range.

Thailand Government Educates on Jellyfish

Image
Thailand's Department of Marine and Coastal Resources has produced some literature designed to educate Thais about the jellyfish that live in their seas.

Lethal Box Jellyfish at Koh Mak on Video

Image
Here is Youtube footage taken presumably by a Swedish person while on vacation on Koh Mak in the Gulf of Thailand. It actually makes for incredible viewing. Watch The Video: Koh Mak Box Jellyfish video Firstly, the very hard to see box jellyfish is a Chironex, the deadliest animal on the planet with tentacles that kill a human in a few minutes with a small sting. These animals usually move in groups so it was likely there were others as difficult to see on this particular beach. Secondly, the Thai man called upon to remove the box jellyfish handled it like a pro. Obviously his actions were based on experience and the most likely scenario is that that experience was gained on Koh Mak. There have been many reports of sighting and stings on this island. Thirdly, the people in the water speaking Swedish all remained in the water, joking, laughing, walking around in the shallows, calling their children over to have a look - MY GOD!! Perhaps it was a case of fe

Frontline Physician Confirms Langkawi Con

Image
The beautiful and very popular north Queensland 'resort' town of Cairns with its international airport and renowned visitor facilities is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and one of Australia's Box Jellyfish hotspots.