Sea lice in Fiji

[Estelle]

Last month I snorkeled in Fiji, off Mana island and encountered what the locals called "sea lice". As I swam out to the endge of the reef where the most beautiful coral was I felt tiny stings all over my body. I also heard a crackling noise in my ears. I swam towards shore and the crackling and stinging stoped. I tried going out to the reef edge at many other locations in the bay but always encountered sea lice.
What is sea lice?

 

[Machiavelli]

http://www.fau.edu/safe/sea-lice.html

"larval form of Linuche unqui culata, also known as a "thimble jellyfish"

 

[the_cat_keeper]

Some people told me that the stungs were from the planktons?

 

[Machiavelli]

I dont believe plankton actually has nematocysts, but thats just based on what I recall.

 

[vladimir]

The larvae qualify as plankton and they do have nematocysts. So posts #2 and #3 are correct.