Snakes | Spiders | Jellyfish | Other

I am planning a holiday in northern Australia and would like to know when it is safe to "go in the water" as far as jellyfish stings are concerned ?

In general dangerous jellyfish stings are associated with the summer months - the traditional "stinger season". However there are exceptions to the rule ! Although you are pretty safe from serious jellyfish stings whilst swimming in north Queensland during the Australian winter, box jellyfish stings have been recorded in the Northern Territory in every month of the year (and every month except June and July in Queensland). Interestingly, the Chironex-type box jellyfish stings are commonest in January, in both Qld and the NT, whereas Irukandji stings peak in December in Qld and in May in the NT ! So the best policy is to wear a stinger suit whenever you go swimming in tropical Australia. Note that other biting and stinging marine creatures are present throughout the year (eg stingrays, sea snakes, stonefish, coral, crocodiles, sharks).

I am planning a holiday to north Queensland but will only be snorkling and diving offshore - do I have to worry about jellyfish stings ?

Yes ! Although the most dangerous jellyfish is the Chironex-type box jellyfish (it can kill in minutes) that is only usually found very close to shore, you can still get stung by nasty jellyfish whilst snorkling and diving. The biggest concern is the Irukandji jellyfish. Many serious cases of this type of jellyfish sting occur whilst swimming off the offshore islands and on reefs well offshore. However >90% of these cases could have been prevented by the use of stinger suits (usually available for hire). So to avoid jellyfish stings swim in the winter months and wear a stinger suit.

I am planning a holiday in Thailand and would whether I can swim safely without worrying about jellyfish stings ?

Unfortunately, you should be just as aware of jellyfish stings in Thailand and other Asian countries as you would be in northern Australia. Similar jellyfish (box and Irukandji jellyfish) seem to be present elsewhere in the Indo-pacific. In fact the last death of an adult Australian from a box-type jellyfish occured a few years ago when a young Victorian man was fatally stung whilst on holidays in southern Thailand. Within a few days of his death a Swiss tourist also died in the same area of Thailand. We have also recently reported a probable case of Irukandji-type jellyfish sting in southern Thailand and others have recently reported cases in the Caribbean. Box jellyfish stings have also caused deaths in Malaysia, Vietnam, PNG, Philippines, Indonesia and Japan as well as in the Gulf of Mexico (Texas).