Tropical hazards

[Zenica]

Has anyone here ever encountered or heard of another person from a cruise ship coming across something hazardous while visiting any of the beach destinations like Bahamas, Stirrup Cay or any of the other islands?

 

Examples would be the cone snail, stone fish, poison dart frog, box jelly fish or black mamba. Yes I know, some of these species are indigenous to South America or Brazil but I'm just giving examples of insects or other life found in nature that can be deadly.

[WashyWashyHappyHappy95]

You don't need to worry about encountering any black mambas on your cruise.

[lunchmomd]

Sharks at Disney's private Island, Portuguese Man o War in Bermuda and Bahamas, Jaquar in Belize, Grizzly bears in Alaska, and a little ol' lady from Pasadena.:cool:

[DarkJedi]

a little ol' lady from Pasadena.:cool:

 

Where? And was there a special tour offered? Best time of year?

[Peachypooh]

I know you didn't specifically ask this but there are other hazards as well to watch out for. In Bermuda the curbs from the sidewalk to the street are really, really high in some areas and if you step off one by accident it isn't just a little stumble you might fall into traffic. Also the handicapped area in the rear of the upper level of the Jewell class ships has a ramp and poles with ropes to mark it off. I saw someone come in after the show started, trip over the handicapped ramp fall and dislocate their shoulder. In other words just be extra vigilant even if you are just on the ship.

[rjm11]

Don't touch stuff while snorkeling. For several reasons- one of the strongest being it can damage the coral and other sealife.... but also can hurt you. Fire coral is extremely painful (it's the bright orange colored coral), and something I learned the hard way as a child is that sponges have toxins in them... even if you find them washed up on a beach some have toxins that will cause a bad reaction on your hands.

 

The only injuries we've experienced while cruising were swimmers ear, and once my son turned to walk (with some speed) down the hall and ran straight into the end of one of the hand rails. He was about 4 years old and right at the level of that rail hitting him square in the forehead. Nasty lump and trip to the ship dr.

[mking8288]

Do you have a medical history of concern? Wear a medical ID alert and pack your own trauma/first aid medical kit ... per your PCP's recommendations.

 

Watch for diving seagulls on GSC, they are quick - come after edible food while you are distracted or not paying attention. They've been known to be perched nearby in teams, always on the lookout for any freshly cooked items - striking without warning.

 

Water shoes for the rocks with possible edges. SPF50+ suntan lotion even on cloudy days. Plus, a premium all hazards travel & trip insurance with medevac coverage, waiver for any & all pre-existing conditions. BTW, do you know your blood type ?

[CrabbyPatti]

I was "attacked" by a rouge scooter in an elevator..........couldn't back away any farther with out going through the elevator wall!:o

[Son of a son of a ...]

I was stung on my lip by a jellyfish in Skagway while snorkeling in a wet suit on an excursion. They warned us to avoid them, but the current was strong and there were a lot of jellyfish in the water. All good ... just a bit of numbing for an hour or so. It was bad luck on my part with 95%+ of my body covered and the little bugger struck the only exposed part.

Edited January 1, 2018 by Son of a son of a ...
typo

[zqvol]

Jelly fish are common, as is fire coral, and black sea urchins. Ashore you will find that certain trees have fruits that are very acidic and will cause burns. Mosquitos and no see ums can be deadly. You won't find snakes in the Caribbean.

[Zenica]

You don't need to worry about encountering any black mambas on your cruise.

 

I'm just now getting back to this thread. Thanks everyone that replied.

 

@washywashyhappy, I realize there aren't black mambas in the Bahamas. I was generalizing so you, the reader, would have an idea of the level of danger I'm looking to avoid.

 

I don't have any medical conditions or allergies, just a desire to be vigilant in keeping my family out of harms way.

[mugtech]

The biggest hazard I have found in the tropics is the desire to stay, not get back on the ship, especially at the last stop on the itinerary. Am currently avoiding this hazard by living in the Philippines.

[TwizzlersAddict]

This is about the craziest thing I’ve seen documented on a beach in Cozumel. I don’t think he would have had to tell me to run [emoji23]

https://www.grindtv.com/wildlife/dangerous-crocodile-stuns-cozumel-beachgoers-stroll-ocean-video/

 

 

[smplybcause]

I've seen a lot of jellyfish at the private island one time. Another time there were sharks and stingrays close to shore. I unfortunately got sea lice once, which despite its name is jelly fish larvae... that stuff stings so bad I now bring stuff to deal with the pain even though it only happened once in seven cruises in the Caribbean and countless times in the water off Florida.

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

[kcdancerkc]

Portuguese Man o War in Bermuda

 

 

Is this prevalent in certain months or weather related?

 

 

Thanks

[Keith1010]

Jelly Fish and Sharks.

 

Keith

[newmexicoNita]

Has anyone here ever encountered or heard of another person from a cruise ship coming across something hazardous while visiting any of the beach destinations like Bahamas, Stirrup Cay or any of the other islands?

 

Examples would be the cone snail, stone fish, poison dart frog, box jelly fish or black mamba. Yes I know, some of these species are indigenous to South America or Brazil but I'm just giving examples of insects or other life found in nature that can be deadly.

absolutely not. The only problems we have had is sand fleas which can cause itching. no one can guarantee against finding poisonous insects or even animals, but if we are going to worry about this, we might as well live in a bubble and hope a wild creature doesn't put a hole in the bubble and eat us.

[geegee1]

You don't need to worry about encountering any black mambas on your cruise.

Unless Kobe Bryant is on your cruise

 

Sent from my SM-G950U using Forums mobile app

[tef43]

Medical waste. Needles not disposed of properly, just laying on the beach.

[Barb Nahoumi]

Riding a motorbike or scooter in Bermuda can be dangerous especially around curves. You have to remember to drive on the left side of the road, and local traffic drives fast. Can be dangerous.

 

If you see a jellyfish or Portuguese Man O War lying dead on the beach. Stay away from it and do not touch the tentacles.. They can still deliver a powerful sting.

[gooch47]

The worst was an attack of no-see-ums in Belize, I think it was. I itched for weeks.

 

Our DIL was stung by jellyfish at one of the private islands. From then on she called them "Jelly Monsters."

 

I stepped on something in a lagoon on Aruba. It was extremely painful but it went away without any lasting effects. I have no idea what it was.

 

I ended up face to face with a six foot barracuda on a snorkeling trip in Martinique. We were snorkeling off a beach and my husband said he didn't know I could swim that fast getting back to the beach.

 

It was strange to see children swimming in the Amazon River where we knew piranha existed. We even went on a fishing trip for them. LOL ,,. the fish, not the kids.

 

We were sitting on beach chairs in the south pacific with poisonous sea snakes slithering by us. We were told if we don't bother them they won't bother us.

 

The bottom line is you COULD encounter something but the liklihood of it really hurting you is pretty slim.

[Barb Nahoumi]

This is about the craziest thing I’ve seen documented on a beach in Cozumel. I don’t think he would have had to tell me to run [emoji23]

https://www.grindtv.com/wildlife/dangerous-crocodile-stuns-cozumel-beachgoers-stroll-ocean-video/

 

 

He wanted to swim too.