Friend or foe?

Lesson 3 – 25 minutes

Touch up on your knowledge of dangerous beach animals.

Generate a discussion regarding the types of sea animals we share the beach with by asking the following questions:
- What types of animals/creatures do we share the beach with? (i.e. crabs, fish, whales, sharks, jellyfish, stingrays, sea urchin, sea snakes, stonefish etc).
- How do these animals use the beach? (i.e. fish swim in the sea, crabs live in the rocks or under the sand).
Discuss with the participants that some of these animals are dangerous to us because they have special ways of protecting themselves.
Ask the participants ‘which of these animals are dangerous to us?’
With each answer discuss:
- Why they are dangerous to us.
- What we can do to keep away from these dangerous animals.
Ensure you cover the following animals:
- Crabs – not usually dangerous but be careful.
- Blue Ringed Octopus – poisonous, don’t touch them.
- Jelly Fish – sting you, don’t touch them.
- Sharks – dangerous, leave the water when a lifesaver tells you.

Tell the participants you are about to go for a walk along the beach, set some rules for the walk:
- Stay in a group (a good idea is to place a helper at the back of the group to look after the slower walkers).
- Keep close so you can hear what is being talked about.
- Don’t touch any animals you might find.
- Don’t go in the water.
Take the participants on a walk along the beach and try to find some of the animals you have talked about (it will be easier to find animals like crabs and fish, and a lot harder to find sharks and stingrays). If you come across any of the dangerous animals (i.e. jelly fish) discuss them with the group – but don’t touch them.