I read that someone experienced bad stinging by something in the water at the Divi resort. And was told it was water wasp? and that they are only found at the Divi beach resort? Would they mean jelly fish? I will be there in Sept. is that a bad time for jelly fish? or those water wasps?

It's a sea wasp, type of jelly. I've been to bonaire for the past 5 Septembers and never had a problem with them, and I dive in swim trunks. I've been stung by a jelly once and fire coral a couple times. It's not much different than a bee sting, will go away in 15 minutes or so.

While infrequent, they can appear at any dive site - not just Divi.

Hi Jessica,

The sea wasp is a type of box jellyfish and is a "little" more serious than a bee sting. They are active at night and are attracted to light. The worst time is the week after a full moon. On our last trip, July of 07, there were eight (8) divers hit at Buddy's dock in one evening. Fortunately, none of them required hospitalization. Stings vary from a discomfort to fatality (extremely rare, only one instance (DAN)).

During the day, you should never see one. The problem is at night around lighted areas. Something as thin as a pair of pantyhose or a good coating of vaseline will prevent a sting but it needs to be head to toe.

Thanks for all the valuable information. I guess a full dive skin would be the thing to bring. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I always wear a 'skin', not wetsuit, when I'm snorkelling. Perhaps I'm more sensitive than most, but sometimes if I'm bare-skin-swimsuit snorkelling, I go through patches of water that have teenie tiny stingies that only cause a second's discomfort.

Plus, a skin will keep you from becoming sunburnt.

I've seen 'box jellies', 'sea wasps' during the day, snorkelling. They are rectangular, and have four long tentacles, one off each rear corner. Heat, either hot water or a hair dryer will neutralize the sting, if it still hurts by the time you get home(back to your hotel).

It is very unlikely that you will see one! Don't get nervous!

We have been in Bonaire for the last 8 or 9 Septembers and have only seen a box Jelly once and that was last year see http://www.oldbonairetalk.com/newsgroup/messages/30/294451.html

When night diving, just don't dive in the well lighted areas and wait to turn your dive light on after you start descending.
Although, we have never experienced a problem with them, but have always taken these precautions.

The first time I was stung by a sea wasp was during the day off Captain Don's, near the dock as I was getting out of the water. Several years later in Grand Cayman, I got stung again, on a night dive, and ended up spending a very painful night in the hospital emergency room. Turns out I'm now allergic to the sting, so I have to carry an EpiPen injection whenever I dive, just in case. I haven't been stung for over 10 years now because I take precautions, especially at night: I always wear a full wetsuit and a beanie. I carry gloves in my bc pocket during a night dive, and I put them on when I start my ascent (both times I got stung on my hand at the surface!). And I ask my dive buddies to turn off their dive lights as they surface. I don't want to go through that pain again! (They kept asking me if I wanted Demerol, but I knew if I took it, that would have been the end of my diving for that trip. So, I toughed it out, and it REALLY hurt!)

So if you're afraid of getting stung by anything, my advice is to just cover up completely, especially at night and turn off your lights near the surface.

We're leaving for Bonaire in 11 days and I can't wait!!!

Lorri

Last year (Dec 06) doing a night snorkel with Dee from Woodwind (we do it every year, she is so good!), one of several Woodwind trips we take on our weekly winter trip to Bon - Dee got stung by a box jelly and she grabbed me and SHOVED me out of the way of one that she said I was about to swim into with my face. I was VERY grateful to her as I cannot think I have ever encountered one (just plain old North Atlantic jellies as a kid) but do have allergies to lots of stuff so it may not have been pretty..........at the least I would not have been SO happy I am sure. In fact, they quickly got so "thick" around us she made us all get out of the water fast and aborted the rest of the night trip. Sadly, but we appreciated her expertise and knowledge. I trust her judgment and am sure she would not have done that if she hadn't thought it significant............

Ginni in WI

There is a lot posted about jellies, sea wasps, Cubozoans, and stings on BT. If you are concerned just use the BT search engine to find some of the documentation. Bonaire is a very safe place to dive/snorkel/swim/sail/kiteboard, but there are some things to consider, particularly if you are jelly-sensitized as Lorri mentioned.

Bud Gillan
Boca Raton, FL