The tropical waters north of Bundaberg in Queensland and on through the Northern Territory to Exmouth in Western Australia are home to some of the world’s most dangerous marine stingers. These include in particular the Irukandji and the box jellyfish, which have tentacles equipped with millions of nematocysts, or stinging cells, which have a tiny harpoon attached to a venom-filled bulb. These nematocysts are triggered when they come into contact with chemicals found on the skin. The venom injected negatively impacts a victim’s heart, nervous system and skin cells.
Identification
Lifesavers may also inform the public that these box jellyfish are often not far from their food source such as sea lice felt in the water and clusters of salps, which look like crushed glass or ice at the high tide line. The stinger peak season is October to May.