Jelly Photo Released

Finally, the picture of the mysterious notorious looking jellyfish caught on the night operation is now publish on my blog. What you are seeing here is the blob scooped up with its long tentacles. The speed of our boat seemed slow to us but a little too fast for jellyfish catching. Due to the momentum and our lack of experience, most of its tentacles broke off. 

Here is the picture of the entire blob...

A look at this picture, one can guess which family of this blob belongs to.

Unfortunately, this jelly did not survive more than eight hours because it was in captivity in a tight enclosure and stressed out. We learnt later than we should have proper facilities in which we didn't have to keep the jellyfish alive longer. 

LADA arranged another meeting with some of the players in the industry together with the marine experts. The marine experts will not confirm the exact species of this jellyfish until a DNA test is done. Is it possible to retrieve any tissues from a frozen jellyfish when it is composed of more than 90% water?

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Aussie's Note On Jellies

I received a very long note from Liz Pawsey which was sent to my email inbox about box jellyfishes in Cairns, Australia. The google blogger couldn't store her writings in the comments box because they were too large to be processed. 

What were her thoughts?

My husband and I have just moved to the island from Cairns in Far North Queensland, Australia. People there have lived (and some have died in agony) with jellyfish for thousands of years; in fact most are identified by names given by the indigenous Aborigines. The Box jelly is in fact classed as the lowest threat on the Dangerous List as steps can be taken to minimise contact.I am not trying to trivialise the problem here, but to let you know that there are further experts to discuss the problem with and, more importantly in the short term, strategies to keep people safe.

Now, I am NOT an expert but regarding the Box Jelly I can help with some advice. Firstly, the information above regarding the vinegar is absolutely 100% correct.

Firstly, as a warning and as a means of instant first aid, beaches in Queensland where the jellies are a problem have poles with signs regarding the danger and a solution to a sting. Bottles of vinegar are kept at these stations which are generally situated at the entrance to the beach itself.

Secondly, fishermen who are frequently in and out of the water will wear pantyhose. The slight barrier of the nylon is sufficient to stop the tentacle barbs connecting with the skin. Unfortunately, pantyhose do get holes in them so this is a poor long term solution. The primary solution is the wearing of 'Stinger Suits'. Males/females Adults/children in areas with dangerous jellies have zippered full body suits made from Lycra.I believe I have seen them here on Langkawi worn by Muslim women. I have absolutely no idea and am totally ignorant whether this would be a cultural problem for Muslim fishermen. BUT, they work and hubby and I have brought both of ours with us.

All the tour boats have suits available for their guests which have the added benefit of reducing sunburn to fair European skins. Means tourists can continue to spend their money at attractions instead of staying in their rooms recovering! You will also see fishermen with the top part of their suits hanging around their waists when only the lower part of their body is in the water. Keeps them safe and cooler.

Thirdly, much research has been already been conducted by academic staff attached to James Cook University (Cairns Campus,) on breeding and distribution of jellies. They have discovered that they breed within the mangroves that grow in tropical climates. But, removing mangroves is not the solutions as they are also the nursery essential for many marine animals. Remove mangroves and you lose your fish stock.

However, the insight of knowing where they breed also allowed us to learn why they were more prevalent at certain times of the year. Queensland only has large numbers of the dangerous jellies after the monsoonal rains have flushed the river systems and they have been washed into the ocean.

Although the jellies have a little control over their movements, they are subject to currents and on-shore winds. ie they will only be close to the beaches under certain conditions. One means of ensuring safety for tourists, is that many resorts/motels and local government bodies install 'Stinger Nets' at the popular beaches. Not to catch the jellies but for people to swim in safely. There is of course going to be some cost in installing these barricades but when the economy depends upon tourism, it is a small price to pay. The advantage Langkawi has, is that these already exist and can easily be copied, to be made locally at a much less cost than those in already in Australia.

Finally, I strongly recommend that contact be made with researchers who have already much knowledge to assist in combating this problem. http://www.jcu.edu.au/mtb/staff/academic/index.htm

I hope this is of some assistance.

Liz

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Jelly Night Op

After three nights of rain and rough sea at Pantai Cenang since the jellyfish operation, we finally had the opportunity to head out.  That night was two days after the fullest moon.

Osman leading the group

We headed out to Pantai Cenang about 10:00pm in a fishing boat equipped with a strong spotlight. This sort of light is used by fishermen for squid catching. With just four of us on the boat armed with scooping nets, we were ready!

Within thirty minutes out in the sea, Jimmy of MNS spotted a jellyfish. But it was the common brown one. We decided to let it go because the species is not considered dangerous. And then it was the moment of waiting again. We found ourselves scooping up plastic bags and polystyrene boxes instead. 

After about an hour, my eyes caught something floating... That "thing" was scooped up instantly and it was a bit heavy (maybe it was the scooping net, it has an extremely long heavy wooden handle). 

It was a jellyfish alright. However, this one was something out of the ordinary and it was notoriously looking. We were shocked to see such long tentacles. Could this be the one that we were looking for?

To respect Osman's decision, I will not post the picture of this jellyfish caught until he has confirmed the species from the experts. I hope this will not take too long.

That blob filled up the whole space in that small aquarium. Because of the weight of the current while scooping it up, most of its tentacles were detached. A lot of its broken tentacles were stuck on the scooping net.

We continued scouting around. Our boat was not very far from the shore and while passing some resorts, we could smell the sewage...

Another one hour until 12:00am and no more jellyfishes were spotted. Osman took the species home and tried to keep it alive for identification purpose. As for now, please do not swim in the sea after dark. There is something lurking out there.

Link:

1) A Malay blog report on the Jellyfish Op

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How Many Jellyfishes We Got?

The storm clouds were approaching fast before the start of the operation and Langkawi folks had already gathered at Kuala Cenang jetty awaiting the VIPs.

As usual, the VIPs were late and the leader of the pack, Pak Man went ahead and started the briefing before their arrival. Pak Man was a representative from KPSP (Kumpulan Pengurusan Sumber Perikanan) of Langkawi who helped organised the fishermen and their boats in this operation and as well as an advisor to all of us. Since there were no marine experts, Pak Man was our only source of information for the jellyfish habitat and behavior. He seems to be the experienced one.

Pak Man shared his knowledge on traditional treatment on a jellyfish sting. Rub the banana peel over! That will relieve the pain. I don't know what is the rationale behind this, however, this is from the experiences of our fishermen. They are the ones out there and experienced  ones besides the marine experts. Pak Man cautioned us all that we must never ever pour tap or mineral water over the sting.

More than sixty people turned up for this event and it was a good number. There were hotel staff, jet ski operators, tour boat opertors and government agencies such as the police and bomba (Fire Department). The operation kicked off about 11:30am after the arrival of the VIPs. The boats headed out to Cenang Beach and we scout the area between Pelangi Beach Resort and Underwater World. 

Scooping nets were used

One of boat with the special net equipment

A jet ski cruising past some swimmers while keeping an eye on jellyfishes to be scoop out

JPA (Jabatan Pertahanan Awam)/Civil Defence Department 

The boat with the special net

Scooping out a jellyfish

Our first jellyfish scooped out

Good thing about today's weather which was drizzly and cloudy after the downpour. However, the visibility of the water was very poor, about less than 5m. The operation stopped after 1pm for a break before continuing after 2:30pm. While back to Kuala Cenang, all the harvest were gathered together.

A bucket full of brown jellyfishes (no idea of its species). This type of jellyfish is the most common one found here.

Pak Man picked up a jellyfish (ampai-ampai in Malay) and according to him, this is the most dangerous one among all. This one was scooped out by the boat with the special net. Unidentified species, therefore I would call it as the notorious one.

The notorious one in the aquarium.

Part of the notorious one's tentacles stuck within the fishing net.

Tentacles at close up

Pak Man demonstrating tentacles is harmless on the palm but NOT on the other side of the palm. 

Please don't try this at home!

Another unidentified species of a white jellyfish caught in an aquarium

Leaders of the pack during the press conference: Pak Man (left) and Osman (right). Osman is our representative for Malaysian Nature Society Langkawi. Kudos to them!

More than hundred jellyfishes scooped up, big and tiny ones. We questioned how such operation would be effective and will that clean up our seas here. Such operation will not clean up the jellyfishes for sure. At least, such operation would create awareness among the locals and tourists. The most important of all, we must know what sort of jellyfish species in our waters here. Next objective is to proof the existence of box jellyfish with the involvement of the locals and authorities.

We were glad to have the fishermen came together to assist. They are the buddies of the marine experts.

Next operation will be tonight (25th July 2010) from 8pm to midnight. From Pak Man's experiences, he told us that the night operation is more effective.  

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Ops Jellyfish

The relevant Langkawi's authorities had finally decided to take action with the escalation of victims stung by jellyfishes lately.

LADA (Langkawi Development Authority) collaborated with the Hospital Langkawi, fishermen, beach hotels and of course, our beloved Malaysian Nature Society Langkawi to hold talks and "cleaning up" operations. 

Hospital Langkawi conducted two talks on how to manage and treat jellyfish attacks to the public recently. Due to lack of publicity, the response to the first talk was appalling. The second talk this week had received a better response with fifty over people. During the talk, they revealed a shocking statistic on the number of victims within the month of July 2010.

Their statistic stated from 1st July to the third week of July, a total of 185 cases of jellyfish stung reported, 12 people admitted, an average of 10-20 cases per day and no death reported. The affected area was mainly in Pantai Cenang.

The speaker was a medical assistant and he presented the following:

1) The mechanism of nematocysts

2) Recognising the signs and symptoms of a jellyfish sting

3) Dos and don'ts when administering first aid the victim. This is a very important reminder: NEVER EVER POUR TAP OR MINERAL WATER ON THE STING. This will trigger the stinging capsules and will make the condition worse. 

4) Treatment and management

Unfortunately, no one in the room could provide the exact facts on the jellyfish species and the dangerous ones that can be found in the waters of Langkawi. However, they were quick to  rule out the existence of Box Jellyfish and the Portuguese-man-of-war in the waters of Langkawi. We were told that the Fisheries Department could not even provide the details on the number of species. Seems like there is lack of research done on jellyfishes in Langkawi. Or perhaps the facts are classified information?

Well, whatever the reasons, this Sunday 25th July 2010 will be a great opportunity to find out what sort of species out there in the water. This Sunday's event is the second operation to "clean up" the jellyfishes in the sea. The first one was held on July 17th as a trial run. 

This event of scooping up any jellyfishes spotted in the sea will involve fishing boats, the public, relevant government agencies, LADA and MNS Langkawi.

Time: 10am-4pm

Location: Kuala Cenang

How effective this operation can be? 

Link:
1) Another blog report from Thai Box Jelly Fish

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Box Jellyfish Existence In the Sea of Langkawi?

Secret is secret. Even the nearby eatery shops were not aware of it. Or were they told to hush-hush about this?

No matter how well a secret is kept, the internet distribution is more powerful. It is very sad that someone had to die in her vacation here and yet, was there any action taken to warn the public and to be vigilant? How many of such incident went unreported? This would probably serves as a wake-up call to the authorities.

This picture was taken from National Geographic on Box Jellyfish

This is the news taken from Local Sweden's News in English:

A 45-year-old woman from Småland in southern Sweden has been killed by a jellyfish while on holiday in Malaysia, writes the Aftonbladet newspaper.

The incident occurred in the beach resort of Pantai Cenang, Langkawi in January when the woman opted to take an evening dip together with her family.

"It took five-six seconds, then she fell unconscious," her husband told the newspaper.

Despite several attempts by relatives and ambulance personnel to revive the woman, she never regained consciousness.

According to  Swedish marine biologist Lars Henroth, the woman was probably stung by a so-called box jellyfish, named for their cube-shaped medusae. It is a small, transparent creature which is known to carry a deadly sting.

"A heart attack is the most common reason for death when you are stung. It often occurs swiftly."

According to the marine biology centre in nearby  Phuket the box jellyfish has become more common in recent years in the waters off Malaysia and Thailand - popular winter destinations for hordes of Swedish tourists.

The centre issued an official warning last winter when an unusual number of the deadly jellyfish were found off the coast.

TT/Peter Vinthagen Simpson

Click here for the Swedish News

This is my first time knowing the existence of box jellyfish in Langkawi. I yet to come across any documentation on box jellyfish sightings here. I had only heard from what people have said. Sometime ago, I was told by the locals on how some water buffaloes died from crossing the sea to the nearby islands due to jellyfish stung. I pretended to be surprised and quietly thought that they were just joking. Sadly, this current incident may probably confirmed that the locals' stories were real.

Such incident is very rare because most jellyfishes in Langkawi are not fatally dangerous. The above report said that it is probably a box jellyfish. Could the woman died of heart attack from panic and shock? Was there a detailed biopsy or post mortem done to detect any venom from the box jellyfish? Was there any other witness and any other evidence to blame the box jellyfish?

Should box jellyfish is the main suspect, it is the duty of the local authorities to take immediate action by:

1) Collaborating with the Marine department or relevant NGOs to do a research and study  on Langkawi waters for any potential dangerous jellyfishes.

2) Warning the public by putting signboards on the beach and educating them on taking vigilant steps.

3) Cordoning an area by placing netting for safe swimming during the jellyfish breeding season.

Was a standard procedure of CPR done properly to revive the victim? How much time did the local ambulance arrive at the scene? The general hospital to Pantai Cenang would take about 15 minutes and 10 minutes would be the quickest. Also, was there any beach lifeguards on standby during that time? Hmm... questions, questions..

Having said that, I strongly believe that the local authorities are fully responsible for this incident.  Is it worth generating great revenues in the tourism industry at the expense of the public's safety? 

We all should learn from Australia. The world knows Australia is a home to the most dangerous snakes, spiders, jellyfishes, crocodiles on earth and yet the country is able to attract millions of tourists annually. Why?

Read more:

1) Useful Tip from Langkawi's Herb Consultant Dr Ghani

2) Blog Report

3) Reports from Malaysia-Today

4) Thai Box Jellyfish Blog

5) National Geographic on Box Jellyfish

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