Blue-Ringed Octopus
Advice and Information

Travel Safety - Blue-Ringed Octopus [aka Blue Ring Octopus], information:

The only dangerous octopus in the world cruises the waters of Australia.
Fully grown these marine animals are smaller than your hand, 10-20cm [4-8"] in diameter with tentacles extended and a yellow/brown colour, perhaps with brown bands.
When angry brilliant blue rings appear on its body, though that may be too late to warn you or your children.
It's often found near the shoreline or in rocky pools, hunting crabs.
If it's picked up or trodden on it'll bite with a little beak in the mid-underside of its body.
The bite may not be noticed immediately, but pain followed by severe breathing difficulties, nausea and paralysis will clarify matters soon enough.
Death is rare but not unknown.
The Blue-Ringed Octopus also releases venom into the water surrounding it.

Avoidance advice:
Don't touch, poke, play with or stand on any blobby animals near or on beach in Australia. Whether they are Jellyfish or Blue Rings they won't do you any good!

Symptoms:
Within ten minutes of the bite, nausea, vomiting, extreme pain, vision problems, numbness, muscular weakness, severe breathing difficulties, nausea and floppy paralysis.

Treatment:
- reassure the victim and keep him still.
- quickly wrap a light bandage above and below the bite [if you can't get two fingers under the bandage, it's too tight].
- Immobilize/splint the bitten area and keep it at heart level [gravity-neutral] if possible. Too high causes venom to travel to the heart, too low causes more swelling.
- Do not drink alcohol, or take any medicine or food.
- Take victim to medical facilities urgently.
- You may have to assist with mouth-mouth ventilation.

There is no known antivenom to the Blue-Ringed/Blue Ring Octopus.

Travel Safety - Stonefish stings

The stonefish is found all over the world, including in cold European waters, but it's more common and vicious in warm waters. The small, well-camouflaged stonefish snuggles under the sand in shallow water leaving poisonous spines sticking up ready for an unwary foot.

Avoidance advice:
There are no safety measures you can take except wear some kind of sand shoes/sandals. You won't see this dangerous animal till it's too late.

Symptoms:
Immediate excruciating pain, followed by swelling of the foot. Muscle weakness, paralysis and dying skin may follow.
The pain will subside after a day, though the swelling may take longer to disappear.
Not usually life threatening but a very unpleasant experience.

Treatment [the same for most stinging fish]:
Immerse the area in hot water, take a pain killer and head for hospital.
A tetanus shot and X-rays may be needed to check for Stonefish spine fragments still in the victim. A more serious pain killer would probably be appreciated too!

 

Other Travel Safety - Dangerous animals information:

Shark Attacks | Jellyfish Stings

Crocodile and Alligator Attacks

Scorpion Stings | Snake bites

Bee and Wasp Stings

Lion Attacks | Bear Attacks