Big Box Jellyfish Blog Southeast Asia

Most have at some stage or another had to try through gritted teeth answering the one question we do not want to or cannot: how bad is the pain? From a stubbed toe to a migraine, the intensity impacted by the patient's pain threshold obviously varies. Many know that jellyfish stings are usually bad but box jellyfish stings, no matter who you are, are so bad they almost defy description. On a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is mild and 10 is unimaginable and unspeakable, box jellyfish stings as so eloquently put by lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel when explaining his amp in the mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, "... go to eleven." American professor Brian Fry from the University of Queensland, Australia is a venom expert and when rating that country's Top 10 most painful stings he placed two cubozoa or box jellyfish species at the top.  Coming in second was the Chironex and at number one was the Irukandji . Chironex is a Chirodropida or multi-tentacle box jellyfish and Irukandji ...

  There is so much unknown about what creatures live in our oceans but a recent discovery in Thailand has at least narrowed the mystery down by one. And this time it is a new genus and species of box jellyfish found in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. Named Gershwinia thailandensis after renowned jellyfish expert Dr Lisa-ann Gershwin, this single-tentacle cubozoa was found through physical and molecular analyses to be distinct from its distant relatives in the Irukandji family including the Morbakka or Fire Jellyfish. Interestingly, at least eleven species of box jellyfish have been collected in waters around Thailand in recent years with only four being described including the deadly Chironex indrasaksajiae responsible for numerous deaths and serious injury. Gershwinia thailandensis is not believed to be a killer per se but is considered to be dangerous causing considerable pain with potential symptoms similar to Irukandji syndrome and the p...

  "Scientists have now also discovered that other species of jellyfish, most notably other cubozoans or box jellyfish (of which Irukandji is one of the smallest) also give rise to this syndrome. There are at least 8–12 other species of Irukandji jellyfish found in Australian waters. Most have been documented in the warmer waters of the east coast. Research has revealed that they also like to extend their tentacles and have caused injury in other parts of the world. Unfortunately there are no definitive tests that can confirm if patients are the victims of Irukandji stings. Treatment of the cryptic syndrome is also complex due to the varying symptoms, so it’s easy to misdiagnose." - Australian Geographic  If you've ever inexplicably felt like hell some time after emerging from the sea in South-East Asia and more than likely went to hospital where you could not get any relief from medication, comfort from loved ones and an explanation from doctors, a box jellyfish sting and...

Box jellyfish are widespread throughout the Indo-Pacific region and, while this blog is primarily focused on South-East Asia, tragic news of a fatality in a far north-east corner of tropical Australia resonates with relevancy throughout thousands of similar coastal communities. A young man of 17 has sadly lost his life, stung by a box jellyfish while net fishing with family at a faraway beach on the York Peninsula.  Box jellyfish are active right across the northern stretch of Australia during the wet season from October to May and stings from Chironex fleckerii and Irukandji occur though deaths are uncommon. Australia has developed a reasonably sophisticated and successful system of prevention and treatment education and tools so as to avoid tragic deaths such as that which occurred at Bamaga in Queensland this week. But, it's far from perfect. In fact, its effectiveness through concerted effort over a number of years is limited to specific places and areas, us...

Social distancing takes to the sea with Singapore's popular playground island of Sentosa shocked by the sight of a large box jellyfish in its midst on 3 July, 2020.  Furthermore, Singapore's shock gets worse with reports of several stings.  Marine Stewards posted a video to Facebook of a large single-tentacle cubozoan at ONE15 Marina and word soon spread on social media warning people to stay out of the water. WATCH THE SENTOSA BOX JELLYFISH VIDEO The video shows the unsociable box jellyfish swimming solo on the water's surface with three long tentacles draping behind it - one seems to have gone missing in action. The appearance is that of a Morbakka, and it is certainly one to avoid.  While a multi-tentacle box jellyfish or Chirodropid (specifically Chironex species, as pictured atop of our home page) is considered the world's most venomous animal and is responsible for dozens of deaths annually throughout South-East Asia, the Morbakka is in the scientific order of Car...

Venom from box jellyfish of the Chironex-type and Irukandji are insanely toxic. The former is known as the most venomous animal on the planet, while the latter causes prolonged pain and suffering that is almost incomparable.

Very encouraging to see that Koh Samui under the guidance of the Thailand government is responding positively to a series of recent box jellyfish stings and tragic fatalities in the local island group.

Truth or Dare?  

There was another serious box jellyfish sting at Langkawi. A young European girl. On holiday with her family. Stunning Tanjung Rhu Beach. One of Malaysia's most beautiful. The websites rave about the beach and the nearby luxury resort. They went for a swim. No signs. No warning from locals. Paradise.

To V, or not to V, that is the question. But while it's being debated let's hack the Old Bard again; better three hours too soon than a minute too late.

In this article in The Huffington Post (Lynne Peeples 19/10/2013), a series of experts discuss the possibility of the increasing risk of stings with the rising number of jellyfish. While opinion appears to be somewhat divided, when next on the beach somewhere in South-East Asia perhaps consult the local 'experts' when considering the risk. It's true that some locals may not be so forthcoming with the facts to protect their interests, but at least you tried and the rest is up to your observations, instincts and intuition.

Phuket Wan tourism news reported today (24/8/2013) that Thai researchers who have released online a scientific paper on dangerous jellyfish in Thailand have called for more to be done in Phuket and around Thailand.

BANGKOK, 3 June 2013 (NNT) – The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources are warning tourists of possible jellyfish attacks in southern coastal provinces during the rainy season. 

Videos have emerged on Youtube showing box jellyfish being filmed during night dives off the popular west coast of Phuket. Experienced diver Joe Blasy filmed box jellyfish on three occasions around 20-50m off the coast of Kata Beach in recent months and posted his amazing encounters on Youtube.

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.

It's official! The Malaysian Government is not at all interested in protecting the lives of its citizens and guests in relation to the threat of Box Jellyfish both now and into the future.

In tropical north Australia there is a period where box jellyfish move into coastal areas posing a threat to all water users, this period is during the hot and wet summer months and is called the stinger season. The stinger season runs as a rule between November and March though box jellyfish (stingers) have been sighted all throughout the year. This period is where they are most concentrated and researchers at the James Cook University's TASRU (Tropical Australia Stinger Research Unit) suggest that this season is getting longer.

There have been many reports of serious jellyfish stings on Langkawi recently that have been posted on this blog and I thank all who have commented - this is invaluable in getting the authorities to do something constructive soon to help improve the situation and make this beautiful island safer for all.

Chironex sp. Langkawi, Malaysia      Copyright Tina Marinis 2010 Denying that a problem exists is made easy when the facts are suppressed as they were at Langkawi, Malaysia in late January 2010 when 45 year old Swede Karina Lofgren was killed by the sting of a box jellyfish. That denial is a shameful beaurocratic act and an insult to Mrs Lofgren's memory, her husband and family.

A Swedish production of Survivor, the very-long-running TV series of marooned modern-day mercenaries, has been shutdown at the Langkawi beach site of a severe though non fatal box jellyfish sting.