Stinger Season – North Queensland

Posted by andrea on December 19, 2008

The stinger season is from around November to May. During this time you need to swim inside the stinger enclosures at the beaches or wear a stinger suit.
Stingers aren’t overly energetic animals and have not caused any problems around the Reef, Whitsunday Islands and Far North Queensland islands however jellyfish are prevalent in the waters around the mainland.

Stingers are a very dangerous jellyfish. There are two main types of “stingers”, they are the Box Jellyfish and the Irukandji Jellyfish.

Box Jellyfishes are typically large, with substantial bodies and numerous tentacles on each corner. Their stings can cause death in previously well humans in as little as 3 minutes.

Box Jellyfish

Box jellies can be quite common in certain locations and in certain conditions.

All box jellyfish species have medium to large, box-shaped bodies, with multiple tentacles on each corner (up to a total of 60 tentacles). Different species reach different adult body sizes, ranging from about 10cm tall to about 1/3 meter! The body is transparent, and usually difficult to see in water.

Box jellyfish stings cause immediate severe pain, often likened to an iron or hot oil burns. The tentacles are often left on the skin, and will cause additional stinging if not neutralized by vinegar.

Severe box jelly stings will have a “ladder-like” appearance, and will “frost” the skin. Substantial stings covering half of one limb can be fatal.

Irukandjis are a group of small jellyfishes whose stings can cause serious illness in previously well humans.

Irukandji

Irukandjis are rare, but the stings can be life-threatening. It is worth taking some simple precautions so that you can enjoy your holiday with peace of mind.

All Irukandji species have small, box-shaped bodies, with a single tentacle on each corner (a total of 4 tentacles). Different species reach different adult body sizes, ranging from only 1cm tall to about half a metre! The body is transparent, and usually impossible to see in water.

The initial sting from most Irukandji species is quite mild, feeling like sea lice or a mosquito bite. There is often no mark, or perhaps small red “goose pimple” marks. Often, Irukandji stings will sweat profusely in the immediate sting region only.

So remember, it is worth taking some simple precautions so that you can enjoy your holiday with peace of mind.