Beware of Fire Coral at Dolphin Discovery Chankanaab

[ILUVCRUZEN]

I decided to start a new thread with the following information because I had posted it under a different thread following conversation and then decided this information was important enough that everyone considering the Dolphin Discovery program needs to read it. I am by no means trying to discourage anyone from doing the Dolphin programs at Chankanaab. We had a blast and would highly recommend it to everyone dispite what happened to my friend's little girl. Next time we will be more careful.

 

Last October we did the dolphin encounter (not swim). Children have to be the required height because you are standing on a platform in the water and if your child isn't tall enough then he/she would just be bobbing around in the water instead of standing. Also, the movement of the water makes it a little hard for the younger children to stand still because their life vest is bobbing around in the water while they are wearing it. There is a chain link fence under the water that keeps the different dolphins in seperate pens. DO NOT ALLOW YOUR CHILDREN TO LEAN AGAINST IT FOR SUPPORT. My friends little girl held onto it for balance and leaned against it. About 10 minutes after she was out of the water her skin in different places starting welping up and stinging really bad. Also, little fluid filled blisters appeared on her skin where the rash was located. The best way to describe them is to say they looked like water filled blisters you get when you have been sunburned really bad but they are tiny. The workers at Dolphin Discovery said it was probably Fire Coral that was on the fence. The fire coral she encountered looked like seaweed.

Please educate yourself about Fire Coral.

 

Here is some info I found on Fire Coral.

Fire corals are not true corals. Fire corals are members of the Cnidaria phylum, and although fire coral looks like coral, it is more closely related to jellyfish and other stinging anemones.

 

Fire corals have a bright yellow-green and brown skeletal covering and are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical waters. Divers often mistake fire coral for seaweed, and accidental contact is common. The very small nematocysts on fire corals contain tentacles that protrude from numerous surface pores (see Jellyfish Sting). In addition, fire corals have a sharp, calcified external skeleton that can scrape the skin.

 

Fire Coral Symptoms

Within 5-30 minutes following skin contact with fire coral, an immediate burning sensation or a stinging pain develops.

A red rash with raised wheals or vesicles appears, and itching develops.

Rarely, nausea and vomiting have been reported.

Fire Coral Treatment

The following guidelines are suggested to treat fire coral cuts:

Rinse with seawater. Avoid fresh water because it will increase pain.

Apply topical acetic acid (vinegar) or isopropyl alcohol.

Remove tentacles with tweezers.

Immobilize the extremity because movement may cause the venom to spread. Apply hydrocortisone cream 2-3 times daily as needed for itching. Discontinue immediately if any signs of infection appear.

 

[jspirit]

When you are in the water, do they tell you about that and warn you not to lean on the fence?

[Crichard]

Thanks for the update.. We will be there next week so I will be sure to watch my children. Can you get this only from leaning on it or is it in the water? We are not doing the dolphin thing... just going to the beach.. could this be on the rocks getting into the water? I will be sure to ask questions now. Thanks for the information.

Cathy

[Crichard]

Thanks for the update.. We will be there next week so I will be sure to watch my children. Can you get this only from leaning on it or is it in the water? We are not doing the dolphin thing... just going to the beach.. could this be on the rocks getting into the water? I will be sure to ask questions now. Thanks for the information.

Cathy

[ILUVCRUZEN]

They did not warn us about it. It was stinging really bad and Camry was crying. We brought her over to the guide and showed it to her and she was the one that said it was "probably Fire Coral" from off of the fence. So if she knew it was on the fence then she should have warned everyone. I asked her did she have anything we could put on it and she said no. When we got back to the ship we gave her some Benadryl and rubbed Cortisone creme on it. It helped but the rash lasted several weeks. I have been to Cozumel 8 0r 9 times and no one in our family has ever gotten bitten by anything in the water(just my friends little girl). So like I said before I am not trying to discourage anyone, I just wanted to make everyone aware of the fence. It is my opinion that since the Fire Coral is similiar to seaweed, it probably got caught in the fence and my friends little girl was the unlucky one that came across it.

[CozSally]

Should this ever happen to anyone, I would like to post the best treatment I have found. Vinegar and alcohol have not helped me in the situation at all. Benadryl and cortisone creams don't seem to have much effect either. What does help is running the affected area under very hot water, as hot as you can stand without burning yourself. Not only does it relieve pain and itching, it also helps break down the chemical composition of the venom for MUCH speedier healing. Hot compresses also work.

 

So sorry your friend's little girl had to suffer through this... and for so long!

[MamaParrotHead]

What a crappy thing to happen ever, let alone on vacation.

 

I'm going to definately google fire coral, to see what it looks like, so I can be on the lookout.

 

Thanks for the warning!

 

ETA: here's pic, for anyone who's interested.http://encarta.msn.com/media_701694019_761572186_-1_1/Fire_Coral.html

[zantedeschia]

Wow! When I was at the dolphin encounter a few years back, I remember grabbing the fence and my fingers getting sharply snapped. At the time I thought it was fish biting me but what you say makes sense. I did not break out in any rash that I recall.

[gail811]

Thank you very much for the information! I sent this link to those in our party that are doing the swim in the next two weeks!

[texaspowercat]

My husband and myself went snorkeling off the coast of Cozumel (not sure where, we had a private boat take us out). It was the most amazing thing that I have ever done but every once in a while I would get a little stinging or biting sensation on my leg (kind of felt like a hair being pulled out of your skin). I just ignored it because I only felt it about 5 times but when we got out of the water to move to a diffent coral reef my husband noticed about 50 tiny welps all up and down my legs, mostly on my ankles and knees. Our guide that was with us said that it was tiny jellyfish. I never saw them but my husband did. Kind of weird. I was the only one who was biten too which was strange. My husband nor the tour guide didn't get one bite! Maybe by lotion attracted them?

 

Has anyone had this happen to them? Was it jellyfish? The welps/stings went away not long after our snorkeling trip was over.

 

Don't let this discourage you from snorkeling. It was amazing as we saw hundreds of tropical fish, a sting ray, a blow fish and two baracudas.

 

Have a great trip!