Jellyfish on St. Maarten

[arc918]

Just off the FOS. My wife got hit by two jellyfish (at the same time) at Phillipsburg Beach.

 

She ended up in the med center needing a couple IVs. She described it as the worst pain in her life.

 

We met a few other people on board who go stung as well.

 

No problem in Coco Cay or St Thomas (at least where we went).

 

Be careful out there!

[Beanie01]

Where is Phillipsburg Beach? I'm going to be in St. Maarten the week of 9/25 and was planning to go to Great Bay Beach, where the water taxi lets you off. Are you referring to the same beach? It's walking distance to Front Street?

[arc918]

Where is Phillipsburg Beach? I'm going to be in St. Maarten the week of 9/25 and was planning to go to Great Bay Beach, where the water taxi lets you off. Are you referring to the same beach? It's walking distance to Front Street?

 

We were close to the water taxi stop (in front of the Blue Bitch Bar).

 

Our plan was to kill a little time there and then grab a taxi over to Maho to watch the planes (never made it there).

[FLACRUISER99]

Folks, Jellyfish live in the ocean! They move with the wind and currents and just because there were jellyfish yesterday does not mean they will be there tomorrow and vica versa.

[arc918]

Folks, Jellyfish live in the ocean! They move with the wind and currents and just because there were jellyfish yesterday does not mean they will be there tomorrow and vica versa.

 

agreed - I wouldn't have lost any sleep over them, but after seeing my wife go into shock from the pain and getting a $500+ medical bill as a result, I'll at least make an effort to ask the locals

[PhoenixDawgCruising]

And that my friends, is just one reason why I stick to pools! I cruise all the time, but not even a toe touches the ocean. Give me a nice, chlorinated, animal-free, transparent pool to swim in any day.:D

 

Hope your wife is feeling better.

[arc918]

wife is feeling fine thanks - she still has some cool tentacle marks around her wrist

 

looks like the trip insurance I bought will cover the medical (with zero deductible), so that helps too

[cb at sea]

Good thing you had insurance! I've lived at or near the beach my entire life....jelly fish HURT! But, they are a fact of life!

Give me a pool, anyday!

[arc918]

Good thing you had insurance! I've lived at or near the beach my entire life....jelly fish HURT! But, they are a fact of life!

Give me a pool, anyday!

 

I got stung by one as a kid here in So Cal, but it was no big deal (felt like a couple mosquito bites or something)

 

whatever was lurking there in St Maarten was serious business

[Beanie01]

Here in south Florida, the lifeguards post daily signs of water conditions. I'll have to look for that, or at least ask. It's true that just because they were there one day doesn't mean they'll be there on another, but worth the time to ask.

 

Glad you're wife is doing well.

[oliviaonthe beach]

Portugese Man of War, perhaps? Got stung by one in Barbados about 4 years ago. DH had to carry me back to the car and I still can see a faint marking around the circumference of my ankle; some of the worst pain ever. Glad she is better. Thanks for posting. We will ask around and be careful in November. I actually have some special sunscreen with jellyfish protectorant of some kind in it...never had to use it.

[cascargirl]

Brutal, that's too bad but I'm glad to hear she is feeling better.

 

Both my husband and I got stung in Grenada on a shore excursion (the catamaran pretty much dropped us off in amongst them)...Hurt unlike anything I've experienced before.

 

I'm almost considering bringing some vinegar to the beaches with us on the next trip.

[davenew]

Brutal, that's too bad but I'm glad to hear she is feeling better.

 

Both my husband and I got stung in Grenada on a shore excursion (the catamaran pretty much dropped us off in amongst them)...Hurt unlike anything I've experienced before.

 

I'm almost considering bringing some vinegar to the beaches with us on the next trip.

 

Thats sensible. I always have a couple of vinegar sachets with me just in case. I believe it neutralises the venom. It also works on wasp stings as well. :)

[hardinggrad]

We had a similar experience in Grand Cayman with my son. He was stung by what they think were box jellyfish. It was almost like he went into shock. We were on an excursion and they took us directly back to the ship. He was in the ship's "ER" for several hours hooked up to IVs. Insurance covered the entire cost.

[cruisinleelee]

when did this happen to your son? Time of year? Ugh....heading western in 5 days don't want to be "swimming with the fishes" lol!

[karle]

Oliviaonthebeach, what kind of suntan lotion do you have that repels jellyfish??? where did u get it? We will be on 6 beaches next week, off a cruise and that would be a good idea to have just in case. My daughter 21, is afraid to go in the ocean because of jelly fish!

[Aquahound]

I'm sorry to hear about your wife's jellyfish encounters. I've been stung at least a dozen times, so I know how it feels.

 

To the others asking about what beach it was, etc, I have to tell you it doesn't matter. Jellyfish are very abundant in the warm waters of the Bahamas and Caribbean, especially in the summer months. The worst ones to keep an eye out for is the man-o-war. They are easier to spot because they float on the surface and have a deep blue color.

 

Oh, and there is no such thing as a sun screen lotion that repels jellyfish, despite what they may advertise.

[mdrobtx]

And that my friends, is just one reason why I stick to pools! I cruise all the time, but not even a toe touches the ocean. Give me a nice, chlorinated, animal-free, transparent pool to swim in any day.:D

 

.

 

Come on? Seriously. You're missing out on soooo much.

I don't know? Just makes me shake my head.

Oh well, to each their own.

 

By the way. That's me on the left with the Caribbean Reef sharks.

It's all about catching "rush".:p

[Paul65]

Wow. Sorry that happened. I wonder what kind of jellyfish it was. I've had a few jellyfish stings in my life, but they were just the type to cause little more than a minor annoyance.

[cruisingram1]

I have a question about jelly fish. We're just off the same cruise. We went to Orient Beach on St. Maarten. Gorgeous, by the way. Had we known about the jelly fish, we'd probably not have gone in the water! Do they move in groups with the currents? Would one expect to find them in knee deep surf, or out deeper where the waves don't break? Just curious if we were at risk and did not know it.

[jackdiamond]

One partial remedy for the stings is urine or vinegar, the former being more efficacious.

[celticbabe77]

Although Im from the UK I do a lot of scuba diving ina nd around Caribbean and also Indian Ocean and Great Barrier reef in Oz. The lotion mentioned is called SeaSafe , it also against marine stingers. The waterproof lotion has patented ingredients that deactivate the jellyfish stinging mechanisms and has a UV protection of 30 , so it doesnt repel jelly fish just helps to neutralise the sting on contact.

[Paul65]

I have a question about jelly fish. We're just off the same cruise. We went to Orient Beach on St. Maarten. Gorgeous, by the way. Had we known about the jelly fish, we'd probably not have gone in the water! Do they move in groups with the currents? Would one expect to find them in knee deep surf, or out deeper where the waves don't break? Just curious if we were at risk and did not know it.

 

There is always a chance of encountering jellyfish in the ocean, but most are pretty much harmless, unless you have a particular allergy/sensitivity to stings. They can be anywhere from deeper water right up to the shore.

 

The Man o' War is probably the most dangerous of those you might encounter in the Caribbean, but it is relatively rare and is pretty easy to spot, because it is fairly large and floats on the surface. This one is a fascinating creature, or rather collection of creatures, that is technically not a jellyfish at all.

[hardinggrad]

when did this happen to your son? Time of year? Ugh....heading western in 5 days don't want to be "swimming with the fishes" lol!

 

It happened in October. We were on an excursion that included swimming with the stingrays and then snorkeling. It happened during the snorkeling. It was right after a big storm. I don't believe that box jellyfish stings are a very common occurence. It wouldn't keep me from snorkeling again. However, my son still says he will never swim in the ocean again. We'll see.

[oliviaonthe beach]

The product I have is called Safe Sea Jellyfish protection. A professional diver recommended it to me so maybe the cynical poster above is incorrect and maybe it would actually help. it is not expensive. I plan on using it in November. It comes in a variety of SPF formulas. I ordered it online. Good luck!