North of perth has changed...

we used to have the small see through box ones with 4 tentacles, now you dont even see them this summer and instead we get the big round clear ones with 1m+ tentacles everywhere!

 A guy in Groote got done in by a boxy, just before we left. His arm looked like someone had taken to it, with a hot poker, circling all the way up his arm. 

brown vineagar in the boat, and two cars.  While fishing in Leeman old fart was pulling the sea anchor in and guess what a blue bottle had wrapped itselt around the anchor rope, he yelled for me to get the brown vinegar out and washed his hands, then he put gloves on and washed the anchor rope, saved him so much pain. 

Are these what you call box jelly fish? 

As the blue bottle is everywhere on the beaches in Leeman aaround the end of August to September, drive along the beaches and you can hear po pop as you go and also have to watch your dog when they are on the beach.

Brown vinegar is also good for bee stings.  Older people on here would remember the blue bottle that your granny or mum used to rinse in the whites (made the rinse water go blue)  to make them sparkle they used to be good for bee stings also.

Box Jellyfish

Species - chironex fleckeri

Description

Box Jellyfish are pale blue and transparent and bell or cubed shaped with four distinct sides, hence box jellyfish.

Measuring up to 20 cm along each side of the cube or bell, the Box Jellyfish  has up to as many as 15 tentacles on each corner which can be 3 metres in length with up to 5,000 nematocysts (stinging cells).

The Box Jellyfish shoots itself along up to speeds of 4 knots in a  jet-like motion.

Habitat

The box jellyfish seem  to move  towards the shore in calm waters when  tide is rising and gather near the mouths of rivers, estuarys and creeks following the rain. 

Box Jellyfish feed on  small fish and crustaceans. 

Season

The Box Jellyfish season starts with the onset of the wet across the top of northern Australia,  usually around October and lasts until April. Further south along the northern Queensland or northern Western Australia coast the season is usually from November to March. They sometimes appear further south a few weeks beyond the  close of the season.

Venom

You have virtually no chance of surviving the venomous sting. The pain is so excruciating and overwhelming that you would most likely go into shock and drown before reaching the shore. So don't go swimming alone!

Never use methylated spirit or alcohol.  

Domestic vinegars should be poured liberally over the  tentacles to inactivate  stinging cells as soon as possible. The tentacles  may then be removed.  Artificial respiration and cardiac massage may be required.
Where antivenom  is unavailable, pressure-immobilisation  may be used on limbs after inactivation of stinging cells,  while the patient is being transported to the nearest medical centre.

http://www.barrierreefaustralia.com/the-great-barrier-reef/jellyfish.htm

While shark fishing up that way  for a couple of months each year, the boys taking the shark clips off the main line had to wear full wet weather gear to avoid being stung , not only by the boxies but the amount of brown buggers as well. Can you imagine someone in a heavy duty wet jacket and bib and braces pants with wellies and hat on a 35+ deg day in full sun working like a man possessed pulling clips off each 10-15 seconds.

We used to have at least 30 litres of vinegar on board for each 10-12 day trip and use around half on average. The line would have stinger streamers hanging off it as it came out of the water.

Thanks for that info Bod, scary stuff.

Yea I got done on the arm today pulling the anchor up in dampier ck.... luckily only one tentacle got me so wasnt much damage but sure does sting... Yep always carry vinegar in the car and boat...

Anyone see a show on tv in Japan about their jellyfish explosion? You could walk on them there's that many. That's what happens when the ecosystem breaks down through excessive commercial overfishing. It's quite sickening.

Lots of them brown ones around Hedland at the moment. Not seen any Boxies around though. Been brushed by them a couple of times while putting the boat in in the NT. Makes a tough day on the water when you dont have any Vinegar.