We are heading to Bonaire in about 2 weeks (first-timers and boy am I excited!). I've been reading a bit about the jellyfish/sea wasps and while I understand they are not common, it is a small concern for me. Leisurepro has a product called
"Safe Sea" Jelly Fish & Sea Lice Sun Block. Has anyone tried this? Is it likely to work? I do have some very thin tights/shirt that I considered wearing, but wondered about this so-called "repellent". Oh, and we are just snorkelers.

Thanks!
Melissa

Don't know about "Safe Sea", only what I have read in Leisurepro catalog. But you will need some kind of coverage for sun protection over and beyond sunscreen. You are close to the equator and the sun in hot and can burn esp after you have been in the water awhile. Enjoy your trip.
Andy

Melissa: There is some justification for your concern. While on Bonaire in April, we encountered quite a few jelly fish while diving 1000 Steps (the steps aren't all the bad). This is the first time I had seen jelly fish on Bonaire. We had no problems with them, but another diver I talked to in the airport showed me his hand which had been stung several times. It looked kinda nasty, but he said it didn't hurt all that much. I don't know about Safe Sea but I'd be interested in knowing if you end up using it and how it worked.

Melissa, I suggest a light, full body skin. Ours are polypropylene, that's what we use when snorkeling.
If you do a search on jellyfish you will find many threads chock full of preventative and aftercare information, many by Bud Gillan.
In fact, look here , Bud's Posts

Any relation to our own Mary Mueller or her husband Dirk from NC??

(Message edited by seb on May 24, 2005)

I just returned from Bonaire and had some encounters with jellies while snorkeling. Not pleasant but a few precautions would have saved me a lot of discomfort.

First the Caribbean variety jelly fish found close to shore are not the nasty sea wasps found in deeper waters. A skin is sufficient to keep the stingers from penetrating.

First aid is usually a vinegar application which kills the jellyfish stingers which are now in your skin. If you do not do this they can keep injecting venom for up to 10 days.

If you are foolish like me and do not wear a skin nor apply the vinegar solution after being stung then go to Dr. Van der Vaart (?) located just behind the Cultimara and across from hospital. No appointment is necessary just go in and get in queue. A consultation, vinegar rub, cortisone shot, antihistamine shot, and a lecture on jellyfish cost $US50.00.

Jim, yikes! Glad you are OK now (I assume)...we ran into a sea of jellies while night snorkeling off Belmar, and then a larger jelly the same night (which we promptly exited the water)...Seb is right, wear at least a skin for protection...also, I've never encountered them diving (on Bonaire that is), they usually hang out at the surface, so if you exhale through your reg while diving it may dispurse them...

Marcus, where in the water column did you run into the jellies at 1000 steps?

Just press the purge on the reg in your mouth before and as you surface. I used to use the octopus, but one night I said hey why not use the one in my mouth?

Cynde: It was fairly shallow well before getting to the dropoff; not far from our entry on the beach actually. There was a bunch of them - it was very cool because we had never seen them before on 4 previous trips to Bonaire. I'd say it was maybe 10' or so. Marcus.

Melissa,
Andy and Seb have given you good advice earlier.
Just a quick point. We are in the middle of a nasty sea lice/larva and jelly season here in south FL. I see and treat a variety of jelly stings daily these days. Some quite nasty. Here are a couple of things to consider:
1. Bonaire is about as jelly-safe as you can get in the Caribbean. Yet Bonaire gets a wide variety of species ranging from low to highly toxic.
2.These species are found in the open sea to the swallowest beaches.
3. Stinging jellies are seen 24/7. More of some species at night, more of others in the day.
4. Vinegar, while standard issue in the past, is now recommended only for cubozoans or box jellies. Vinegar is especially not recommended for Man-O-War. Vinegar's role is only to "fix" the unfired nematocysts. It does nothing for the fired ones or injected venom.
5. Get educated. Learn what different jellies look like. Especially, sea wasps (Carybdea). While reported in earlier posts, Carybdea swarms 8-10 days after full moons. This is worldwide.
6. Remember most jelly stings go away in a half hour or so. Don't panic.
7. First aid includes a variety of enzyme-based products with papain or bromelain. Cold packs or ice (in plastic) helps.
8. Fresh water is a no-no. Rinse stung areas with magnesium sulfate (Epson salts).
9. Bonaire's medical professionals deal with serious stings with experience and history.

The beach reports on Sea Safe are quite mixed. I saw a park ranger last Sunday who had been surfing and wore a thick coat of Sea Safe. He was covered in sting wounds. Best we can tell is that it may work initially, but wears off in the water. And there are much better sunscreens. Maybe others can give their accounts of SS. I would like to hear them.

If you were headed to Florida for a snorkel/dive trip these days, then you could be concerned about jellies. But not going to Bonaire.

Happy diving and snorkeling,
Bud
Boca Raton, FL

Wow Bud, some good info, thanks!

Bonaire does get Sea Wasps! Its not very common, but they do occur. These creatures leave a sting as nasty or a bit nastier even than a Bee Sting. I have not been stung myself but i have seen the results, it looks nasty and I have heard it is quite painful.

In 15 trips to Bonaire, I have not received a serious sting from anything.

Any kind of thin clothing, a dive skin is ideal, will prevent stings. The microscopic barb in stinging cells can not penetrate deeply enough to get through clothes. I would also recommend dive skins as ONLY PART of your sun protection scheme. However, for a prolonged day of snorkeling, I think some kind of clothing sun protection is an awfully good idea.

Thank you everyone for your advice. I have some very thin stretchy long pants/shirt that I use to layer for cold-weather running. It sounds like I'll put sunscreen, then those on and I should be good to go - thanks for the advice!

Melissa

Melissa, the cold weather running layer should be enough, I have seen cycling pants and tops used to do the same thing, have also seen lycra workout suits used with leotards. Have fun!
Andy

My husband & I will be returning for our 4th trip to Bonaire in late January, 2006. I am concerned about the posts regarding jellyfish, as we have never encountered or seen any jellyfish on any of our previous trips (which have always been in late January). Does anyone know if the jellies are usually found during the spring/summer time and not found during the winter months? We are both snorkelers and wear shortie wet suits, however, if we need to, we will buy full-body wet suits before we come down in January.
Thanks for any advice you can give us on this issue!
Chris

We were there in the month of April this year and there were sea wasps in the ocean. Last year we went to Bonaire in July and saw one huge jelly fish in the water. Small ones were in town while we snorkeled with Renee