beachcomber
Registered
Does anyone have any information about when the sea wasps are out? And when they are out, how common a problem are they?
Thanks for any help.
Thanks for any help.
Info on sea wasps
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I was just looking into this yesterday. Apparently there was a big infestation of banded Bonaire box jellies in September 2006. Those are even scarier. :death2:
Supposedly they occur a certain amount of nights (8?) after the full moon. I'm reconsidering doing any night diving in September, normally an easy decision since that means I can drink instead, but I had been planning on working on my nighttime u/w photography skills that trip.
avlena
Contributor
If you do search, apparently there's a Dan-endorsed "jelly repellent", called SeaSafe. We're going to Bonaire the first week in Sept, and I'm a bit nervous about the jellies too. But, I think a night dive would be worth the risk, and there seems to be plenty of ways to dive safe. Check the BonaireTalk website, and you'll find tons of tips.
driftwood
Contributor
My wife was stung be one at Town Pier in Sept. 05. Having been up with her all night, I can safely say that they are something you want to avoid. She still jokes that something that hurt so bad should at least leave a scar or something. That encounter effectively ended her dive vacation. Sea wasps are attracted to lighted docks the week following a full moon. Your biggest concerns are your entries and exits.
Are they an ever present problem, maybe some months are worse than others. On our July 07 trip, 8 divers were stung at Buddy's pier in a 3 hour period. The sea wasps we saw were about the size of three fingers with 12-16" tentacles. They would chase lights in the water and were surprisingly mobile. As divers would come in, people would light the ones you could see and "guide" them away from the steps/divers. We prudently decided not to dive that night.
Preventing a sting is pretty easy, something as thin as panty hose will protect you. Petroleum jelly on exposed skin will also work. After our '05 encounter, we both bought dive skins and hoods for night diving on Bonaire. You can also use a free flowing regulator or your fins to push them from being directly above you when you surface.
First aid. First spray the affected area with vinegar or Windex will do in a pinch. Do no rinse with fresh water. It is helpful to shave the area that was stung with a disposable razor. This will do nothing for the pain, but will help stop further cells from "firing". If the sting is a bad one, a trip to the ER is in order. If not expect bruising and for the pain to drop off over a couple of days.
There has only been one death associated with sea wasp stings, but they are nasties you want to avoid and be prepared for.
Are they an ever present problem, maybe some months are worse than others. On our July 07 trip, 8 divers were stung at Buddy's pier in a 3 hour period. The sea wasps we saw were about the size of three fingers with 12-16" tentacles. They would chase lights in the water and were surprisingly mobile. As divers would come in, people would light the ones you could see and "guide" them away from the steps/divers. We prudently decided not to dive that night.
Preventing a sting is pretty easy, something as thin as panty hose will protect you. Petroleum jelly on exposed skin will also work. After our '05 encounter, we both bought dive skins and hoods for night diving on Bonaire. You can also use a free flowing regulator or your fins to push them from being directly above you when you surface.
First aid. First spray the affected area with vinegar or Windex will do in a pinch. Do no rinse with fresh water. It is helpful to shave the area that was stung with a disposable razor. This will do nothing for the pain, but will help stop further cells from "firing". If the sting is a bad one, a trip to the ER is in order. If not expect bruising and for the pain to drop off over a couple of days.
There has only been one death associated with sea wasp stings, but they are nasties you want to avoid and be prepared for.
We did see a Bonairean Banded Box Jellyfish in Sept 2006, the first one we have seen in Bonaire. We have been diving in September most years for the coral spawning since 1999 and spending hours in the water at night. So IMHO they are rare.
Warmwater Wank
Contributor
May/June 2008 issue of DAN's "Alert Diver" sez: Hot water (113 F/45 C) is now the remedy of choice for most jellyfish stings, soaking affected area or showering for 30-90 minutes (though where you find 90 minutes of hot water showering is not explained!). Repeat as necessary. They do recommend vinegar for box jellies but not for Portugese man-o-war stings (just hot water on these). They also caution against "folk remedies" such as oxidizing agents or strong alkalais (maybe skip the Windex) or acids, otherwise Driftwood's comments should be most helpful. Especially his tag line Sun Tsu (noted Asian diver) quote about using "local guides". Asking around at Wannadive, BDA, Buddy's etc. before leaping in will avoid most problems, since they stay very aware of changing local conditions. IMO it's not like this is a bigger problem on Bonaire than other Caribbean waters but hey, if it happens to you it is a big problem! // ww
Living in Curacao for 14 years now and every year doing night dives in September and October I have never seen one of these nasties. Most of the time I am diving in a T-shirt and never worried about jellyfish. The only time when I stay out of the water is when there are Portuguese Men-o-war in the neighborhood.
There is always a chance that you get stung, but don't let that influence your dive plan too much. If you start worrying what could happen by driving a car, you would never drive anywhere. The same with diving.
Enjoy your stay in Bonaire, be warned and prepared, but don't worry too much.
There is always a chance that you get stung, but don't let that influence your dive plan too much. If you start worrying what could happen by driving a car, you would never drive anywhere. The same with diving.
Enjoy your stay in Bonaire, be warned and prepared, but don't worry too much.
driftwood
Contributor
Windex was what the shop at Buddy's used. Personally, I travel with a bottle of vinegar. And if it happens to you, IT is a big problem. Be sure to check the moon phase before your trip.
avlena
Contributor
Too bad we're going the second week. Otherwise, we'd just tail you and dive where you dive. As long as you get in first and distract the nasties, we'll be fine
gee, thanks :tongue: nah, i haven't figured out what we're doing yet, cuz from the moon phase it looks like we're going to be hitting Bonaire the requisite 8-10 days after the full moon.
Anyone know how long the jellies hang out after the 8-10 days?
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