Everything You Need to Know About Whitsundays Stinger Season
The Whitsundays is a sub-tropical environment, providing the region with calm, warm waters, and lush natural beauty throughout the Islands. The tropical climate also attracts a diverse marine life, including different species of stingers.
A range of marine stingers flood the Whitsundays during certain months of the year – informally known as stinger season. While the chances of being stung, even during stinger season, are relatively low, swimmers must take extra precautions while enjoying water activities in the Whitsundays.
When is stinger season in the Whitsundays?
Stinger season in the Whitsundays is during the warmer Australian months – from October to May. Marine stingers are attracted to warm, calm waters, such as sheltered bays, sandy beaches with little to no waves, and river mouths, that allow them to remain stationary and in a comfortable temperature.
While there is an abundance of marine stingers out and about in the Whitsundays in these calm waters from October to May, stingers can still be found in open waters and out of season. This is why taking precautions, such as wearing a stinger suit, carrying vinegar, and finding the right places to swim, is essential all year round in the Whitsundays.
Types of stingers in the Whitsundays
The Whitsundays are swimming with thousands of different marine life species, among which are various types of marine stingers. Most jellyfish species are harmless and have a mild sting, such as moon jellies and crystal jellies. Some stingers, such as bluebottles, may cause more pain and swelling when stung but are generally harmless. However, there are two harmful stingers swimmers should be aware of in the Whitsundays: Irukandji and Box jellyfish.
Irukandji
Irukandji jellyfish are translucent and about 1 to 2cm in length – about the size of a fingernail. An Irukandji sting can cause severe shooting pains or muscular cramps in the muscles, chest, or abdomen, and can cause nausea, vomiting, or breathing difficulties. The effects of an Irukandji sting can last between 5 and 45 minutes.
While it is challenging to see Irukandji jellyfish, there are signs you can look for. Irukandji feed on sea lice and salp (a clear plankton which appears like crushed glass or ice), so if you notice clusters of either sea lice or salp, there’s a chance an Irukandji jellyfish may not be too far away.
Box jellyfish
Box jellyfish are a pale blue, cube-shaped species of jellyfish, which can grow up to 38cm across the bell and have up to 15 tentacles (about 10cm long) – much easier to spot than Irukandji. A box jellyfish sting can cause intense pain in the back, abdomen, chest, and muscles, increase heart rate and blood pressure, affect the nervous system, cause skin reactions, and bring on nausea and vomiting. Severe box jellyfish stings can be fatal.
What to do if you are stung
If stung by a marine stinger in the Whitsundays, the Queensland Government issued procedure is to seek medical attention or (if on a tour) alert your crew members immediately. Qualified medical support will assess the sting, carefully remove any remaining tentacles, and douse the affected area in vinegar for at least 30 seconds to reduce the severity of the sting. If stung by a bluebottle, the area will be immersed in hot water instead of vinegar. Assistance will stay with you for at least 45 minutes to ensure no delayed symptoms occur. If in doubt, all stings should be treated as Irukandji.
Precautions for the Whitsunday’s stinger season
Stinger season in the Whitsundays doesn’t mean you have to miss out on all the water activities, but you do have to be more careful when choosing where to swim and what to pack.
Wear a stinger suit
Wearing a stinger suit or wetsuit while swimming, snorkelling, scuba diving, or engaging in other water activities will help protect your skin from any jellyfish stings, decreasing the chances of being stung by 75%. It also acts as sun protection against the strong, North Queensland rays. Most Whitsundays tours provide stinger suits and wetsuits, or make them available for hire.
Swim at safe swimming spots
There is a range of swimming spots in the Whitsunday Islands with stinger nets to protect swimmers from marine stingers. Safe swimming spots include Boathaven Beach, Cannonvale Beach, and Cedar Creek Falls in Airlie Beach, Dingo Beach in Hydeaway Bay, and Horseshoe Bay in Bowen. If you’re unsure of where to swim, Whitsundays tour guides and locals know the best spots, so don’t be afraid to ask!
Carry vinegar
During stinger season in the Whitsundays, packing a bottle of vinegar along with your sunblock can help against most marine stings. Applying vinegar to most jellyfish stings helps inactivate the stinging cells from dangerous species, such as Irukandji and Box jellyfish, thereby preventing more poison from being released. As mentioned, vinegar is not recommended for bluebottle stings. A bluebottle sting should be put in hot water for up to 20 minutes to reduce the pain and deactivate the venom.
