It’s Stinger Season!

Today is the official start of stinger season in Australia. People have been urged not to swim in the sea because of the risk of box jellyfish stings, which on occasion have been known to cause death. The last fatality recorded in the Northern Territory was in 1996, when a three-year-old girl was stung. Stinger season runs until the end of May.

Peanut-sized jellyfish kills Briton

A British tourist has died after being stung by a tiny jellyfish in northern Australia.
Fact File
Jellyfish facts
Irukandji's are tiny relatives of the box jellyfish
There's no cure for the Irukandji's poison
The box jellyfish is the deadliest in the world
It's killed about 65 people in Australia in 50 years
He suffered a brain haemorrhage after he accidentally touched the almost invisible, peanut-sized jellyfish on Wednesday.
First death
Richard Jordan, from Driffield in east Yorkshire, is thought to be the first person to die from a sting from an Irukandji.
Dozens of people are stung by the jellyfish in northern Australia every year and the effects usually include a rise in heart rate and blood pressure.
Other symptoms include backache, muscle pains, chest and stomach pains, headache, sickness and sweating.
Unfortunately, Mr Jordan hadn't been in good health which might have made him more vulnerbale to the poison.

Jellyfish count begins in UK seas

Huge numbers of jellyfish are being spotted in the seas around the UK, and thousands of them are stranding themselves on our beaches.
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) wants people to report their jellyfish encounters so they can understand why there are so many of the blobby beasts.
But they're warning people to take care, as jellyfish can be dangerous.
Scientists also want to use the information to help study leatherback turtles, who snack on jellyfish.
The endangered giants visit UK waters to feed on their favourite jellyfish prey.
Sting danger
Britain's largest species is called the lion's mane and can grow to up to 2m wide, it has a typical jellyfish shape and is reddish-brown in colour.
Victims stung by the fish say it feels like being electrocuted.
The MCs advise anyone who is badly stung to seek medical advice as soon as possible.

Jellyfish invade holiday beaches

People have been banned from swimming on beaches in Europe after hundreds of people got stung by jellyfish.
Swarms of the creatures have invaded the coast off Spain and Italy, forcing loads of holidaymakers to steer clear of the water.
Reports say at least 30,000 people have been stung since summer began, and 19,000 of those attacked were in Spain.
Experts say the hot, dry weather is encouraging the creatures to stray from North Africa where they usually live.That's because the water at the moment is warmer and saltier than usual because there is less water flowing into the sea from rivers. So jellyfish are being washed closer to the coast than usual.
'Not lethal'
Marine biologist Francesc Peters said Mediterranean jellyfish do not have very powerful stings, though it is possible to suffer an allergic reaction from them.
People who have been stung are advised to wash the sting in salty water and cool it with ice inside a plastic bag.