Last Update : Tuesday 23 January, 2001 0:14 AM
Last Update : Tuesday 23 January, 2001 0:14 AM |
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Possible Dangers form Marine Tourism Dangers from Travelling
Possibly Hazardous Marine Animals
In this book, the words “Venomous Marine Animals” are not used because sharks or sea urchins are not venomous but may be harmful. Therefore, we have gathered all hazardous marine animals here both venomous and non-venomous; however, marine animals that are poisonous after eating like horseshoe crabs, porcupine fishes, and so on are excluded. Nevertheless, we suggest that do not eat strange and unsure subjects.
In addition, all living things in the sea do not want to attack and harm human beings. All dangers are because they want to protect themselves. There are very few animals that harm us for food. And in those cases, all were because of misunderstanding. In many hundred thousand living things under the sea, none of them directly hunts human beings for food.
Those people, who harm marine animals first because they are afraid that animals will attack them, usually are in dangers from marine animals.
Venomous Marine Animals
Fishes: Many fishes have poisons at their barbs. Those poisons are for self-protection only. They are such as stingrays, stonefishes, lionfishes, sea catfishes, rabbit fishes, etc. A chance that they harmed us is very rare. All cases were because we harmed them first. The following examples have been happened before.
- A tourist walked in shallow water and stepped on a stingray.
- A tourist grasped a dead sea catfish or rabbit fish, but there was a still poison at its barb.
- A diver grasped or touched a stonefish or lionfish without being cautious.
- A diver rode or hanged on a stingray. Some stingrays are very big. Their barbs can stab through the body.
Symptoms – When striking, it will be abruptly painful. You may be panic or get a cramp and drown.
Treatment – Pull out the barb that remains on the wound, apply a hot compress such as warm water, hair dryer, or burned stone. If there are serious symptoms, send the victim to a physician immediately.
Sea Snakes: There are about 50 species of sea snakes in the sea. The most often species found in coral reefs of Thailand is Banded sea snake that is highly venomous. Naturally, sea snakes do not intentionally harm human beings (except on mating period or in some cases). Normally, sea snakes are not interested in us at all. They swim to feed by probing in crevices and use their noses to find fishes’ eggs or shrimps’. Sometimes, they swim very close to us, do not panic and swim in great haste. When confronting a sea snake, swim away slowly.
Symptoms – The venom of sea snakes is Myotoxic which affects muscle. Urine color usually changes.
Treatment – Perform medical first aids as those bitten by snake, and send to a physician immediately. However, the writer has never heard that any tourists or divers are bitten by sea snakes. All known are fishermen catching fishes in mangrove forests.
Flower-spined Sea Urchin : Toxopneustes pileolus and some short-spine sea urchins found on sand floor outside coral reefs have highly poison. Do not absolutely handle them. If hit, see a doctor as soon as possible.
Crown-of-Thorns Starfishes: These starfishes feed on live corals and they can be generally found all over the areas. The spines are very hard and sharp. If hit, it will be very painful and the wound is difficult to be fully recovered. Sometimes it takes more than 6 months. (We have hit before.)
Cephalopods: Cephalopods are in the Phylum Mollusca. All species can bite us with their sharp teeth like parrot mouth. Some cephalopods are poisonous like cuttlefishes, but most of their poisons do not affect human beings except those of Blue-ringed octopuses, which are deadly poisons. However, as long as we have known, there is no report of this species in Thailand.
Textile Cone: One of the most hazardous poisons in the world. (It was used to shoot Dinosaurs in the movie “The Lost World”.) Their teeth are changed to be harpoon-like teeth. When they find their preys or protect themselves, they will straight out their proboscises and shoot their darts. Some are deadly poisons like Textile Cone ÅÒÂá¼¹·Õè. To avoid them is very easy; do not try to handle them or pick them up into your pocket in order to bring back home.
Jellyfishes: Their poisons are from spring-loaded darts called nematocysts. The severity of poisons is different depending on their species and sizes. These poisons are at tentacles and they are still venomous even they are dead. Some tentacles are long but transparent so we cannot see them. To avoid contact with them, try to swim away on their head side. Do not definitely swim away on their tentacle side. Some jellyfishes have deadly poisons such as Box jelly (áµ¹·ÐàÅ?). But there are very few and hardly found in Thai sea.
Corals, Sea Anemones and Hydroids: All have poisonous stings at their tentacles as same as jellyfishes.
Symptoms – The wound is redness and very itching. Some have severe poisons that the wound is burning.
Treatment – Do not pour water on the wound because it cause more stinging. Take the remaining tentacles away. (The person who picks them up should wear gloves.) Pour plenty of vinegar on the wound. The vinegar will stop the activating of poison stings. Immediately send to a doctor if severe.
Other Animals: There are many other venomous animals like fire worms, fire corals, and fire sponges, but you can avoid those poisons if you are always cautious. The best effective suggestion is “Do not handle any of all marine animals, no matter you know them, think that you know them, or not”. We will not harm any marine animals and harm ourselves.
Possibly Hazardous Marine Animals
Sharks: In the view of general people, they are animals that like to attack human beings; on the contrary, they are the most elegant and greatest fishes of the sea in the view of some people. For us, tens times that we faced sharks, we have never swum away from them because we know that they are not fierce animals. Some sharks may be harmful such as Tiger sharks, but many are not such as Silvertip sharks and Hammerhead sharks. There is almost none of report that they attacked human beings, and most are just mistaken rumors.
There has been no report of sharks attacking human beings in Thailand for more than 30 years. But if you encounter sharks, always be cautious. Do not negligent. You may swim away slowly, but no need to be panic. The chances that sharks eat human beings in Thailand are less than the chances that cars run to crash you in your own bedroom.
Barracudas: Due to their frightening shapes, barracudas make many people fear. In fact, we have never heard barracudas attack human beings in Thailand, even very few in other countries. Normally, barracudas are in schools to rest in the daytime. Sometimes, they come closer to see us or follow us the whole dive, which is usual. At night, barracudas will prey. Those who go night dive may see a barracuda hurl into, but do not be frightened, just dodge from the area or switch off your torch. They will swim away at last.
Moray Eels: Although scared shapes, these fishes are not violent. The chance that we may be bitten usually is in mating period, or when we grasp near the crevices that they are inside.
Sea Urchins: Black urchins with long spines are animals that we know well. Many of you have ever hit their spines. The treatment is not difficult. Use a bottle message on the wound, the remaining spine will brake off and disappear within 24 hours. Do not extract a spine or strongly beat the wound. It may be infected. Use some analgesics. The prevention is to be careful all the time. Especially for snorkeling divers, do not stand on corals. And do not enter very shallow areas particularly when there are waves and winds. The waves may throw you to strike sea urchins.
Other Animals: There are many other animals that are hazardous such as mantis shrimps, porcupine fishes, barnacles, oysters and so on, but everything can be prevented by being not negligent. For wounds that caused by corals or marine animals, sometimes they may become infected with the seawater. Use antiseptics and clean the wounds adequately.
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