Avoiding Box Jellyfish on Your Vacation to Hawaii

The beautiful beaches, natural wonders, and fabulous weather draw people to Hawaii year after year. Few vacationers realize that one of the world's most poisonous animals is also a frequent visitor to Hawaii - the box jellyfish. You can arm yourself with the information you need to avoid meeting one of these dangerous creatures on your next visit to Hawaii.

The box jellyfish is a translucent pale blue jellyfish that resides in tropical waters (in addition to Hawaii, other types of box jellyfish are present around most Pacific Islands as well as Australia). They can be difficult to spot in the beautiful waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands because of their pale color. The box jellyfish sting, while technically not deadly, is painful enough to cause heart failure or shock in it's victims.

The box jellyfish visits Hawaii on a regular schedule. Schools normally appear 7 to 11 days after a full moon. You should consult a lunar calendar to plan your trip to avoid those periods and minimize the risk of not being able to enjoy the beaches of Hawaii. Check the links section of this article for Hawaii's official box jellyfish lunar calendar.

Although box jellyfish swarm near Hawaiian beaches during that part of the lunar phase, they can be present in smaller schools at any time. Take care before you head to the beach to check news reports, or chat with your resort's information desk to make sure there aren't any reports of schools near the beach where you plan to swim. The people who live in Hawaii want to avoid box jellyfish as much as vacationers do, so the information is readily available.

Visitors are cautioned to take care and not touch any jellyfish they see on shore. Box jellyfish can still sting long after they are dead. A common treatment for jellyfish stings is to rinse the stung area with seawater, then rinse with plain white vinegar. Do not rub the sting. If you or someone with you on your vacation to Hawaii is stung by a box jellyfish, do not hesitate to seek aid from a lifeguard. They are trained to know when a person who has suffered box jellyfish stings requires further medical care or hospitalization.

With a little advanced planning, you can protect yourself and your family - and be sure that dream vacation to Hawaii is everything you hoped it would be.

Sources:
http://www.808jellyfish.com/