Now I’ve spent nearly six months here in the tropical paradise that is Queensland and so far I thought I’d done particularly well at avoiding any contact with any of the dangerous critters that consider this part of the world their home. I’ve avoided being boxed by a kangaroo, nibbled by a shark and bitten by a spider or a snake – but then in my final few days on Hamilton Island I fell foul of a miniscule little creature known as an Irukandji.
Pic courtesy of: http://www.irukandjijellyfish.com/
Irukandji jellyfish are tiny and extremely venomous jellyfish that are in the tropical waters of the Queensland coast between early October and May, and which cause symptoms collectively known as Irukandji syndrome. Its size is roughly no larger than a fingernail of an adult’s little finger.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Irukandjijellyfishsize.png
I was enjoying a post Christmas jetski session with some friends at a quiet beach on Hamilton Island and as I climbed off the back of the ski and onto the beach felt a small bee-like sting on my forearm, I didn’t think too much of it at the time as it disappeared very quickly and left the beach to head to a sports massage appointment I had. As I arrived I noticed that my feet and hands were tingling slightly and before I started my treatment commented on the chain of events which had led to this – the member of staff immediately suggested that I get the symptoms checked out and within minutes had the islands security there to escort me to the doctor’s room, only a few hundred metres away.
I was feeling pretty hot and sweaty, had a headache and felt pretty sick too, together with pain in my lower back and a tightness in the chest and a really high blood pressure – all classic symptoms of Irukandji syndrome! This was not what I’d wanted at all and had caught me little off guard to say the least – I’m supposed to be relaxing in my last few days on Hamilton Island.
The doctor knew instantly what it was and straight away started the course of treatment to get me on the mend, I had a couple of injections which immediately took away the uncomfortable pain I was feeling and I slipped into a comfortable sleep after an hour or so, waking to say hello to a couple of friends who arrive to see if I was ok! Bre was there the entire time tending to me like a little Florence Nightingale!
Once I’d recovered sufficiently I was discharged that evening and allowed to go home to sleep the effects off and only really knew what had happened when Bre told the full story the next morning – I had been very lucky.
I’d had a minor brush with what can be a very serious jellyfish and has led to people being hospitalised for a number of days, my slight knock was enough to tell me that it’s not something to be messed around with and I really should have been wearing a full stinger suit, as it recommended at all beaches here at this time of year…even if you’re in the water for just a couple of seconds as I was!
This is what I should have looked like:
Stinger suited
58 Comments
OMG! Hope you’re feeling better now
Bet your mum told you off for not wearing your stinger suit 
H
Mate I think its time for you to return to Britain.
Safer for you there, an Aussie should have got the job anyway.
Haha thanks for the sympathy John – won’t be heading home for at least another 18 months, still plenty of adventures left for this old dog yet I can tell you! Happy New Year, Ben
I’m glad you’re ok! I go to Cairns around once a year (well not lately as I now live in Switzerland) and know of the danger so you were lucky that you found help so quickly.
Also, I’m glad you won it! If an Australian won it, it wouldn’t have such a worldwide impact!
Enjoy yourself!
Jason
Yep she wasn’t too impressed I can tell you especially as she left for the UK the day before! All good now though thankfully!
What is the situation up there with Irukandji? There seem to be a lot of incidents lately. I was up there 2 years ago crusing and diving the Whitsundays. We made sure to dive only during the day (as the Irukandji are attracted to dive lights, so I was told) and we wore stinger suits, boots and gloves. I was diving recently at the HMAS Brisbane and passed a few little Jellyfish. They still scare the s*** out of me. Biggest problem with Irukandji is you just can’t tell they’re there.
Glad you lived to tell the tale, Ben. Almost made it the full six months!
Having just got “hit” by a Man-O-war in Lac Bay on Bonaire just over a week ago, you have my sympathies. I got a big welt across the back of my neck, but no other symptoms, so I feel luck too.
So sorry to hear about your mishap. Glad you are better. Take care!
Dear Ben:
Hope you feel better, Bre and your family must be very worry about you, so as our audience. Please always keey carefully, and enjoy your coming holiday.^^
Good to read that you feel better again. Interesting what a tiny animal like the Irukandji jellyfish can cause.
Have a good time in your last days on Hamilton Island.
You must be having SO much fun!! I’m feeling just a little envious over here in icy cold Japan. Just looking at all of your photos really makes me miss my hometown San Diego, California. Boohoo! You are so blessed to have landed such a fun and rewarding job. I can’t wait for the day when the Governator can afford to bring us teachers back to our own state. Take care and enjoy life to the fullest!
Ben, you’re all over the news here in the UK, especially the BBC, pleased your OK now.
Hey Ben, you made the ‘most read’ section on BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8434351.stm …. be careful mate!
and a Happy New Year!!!
Julie
I had exactly the same problem when I visited the Maldives in 1995. I am not sure if it was the same species but the symptoms were the same. Since that time, I only go … “suited”
Take care and HAPPY NEW YEAR. Achim (Germany).
Glad to hear it was only a minor attack Ben. All the best for the life after Hamilton Island.
Cheers,
John
As a Queenslander living in the Old Dart I find the reaction of, for example, the Courier Mail hilarious.
I read that you were warned, because it was on the web site!
They should say – fair cop, Queensland is an amazing place but it also has some of the most deadly fauna and flora outside the Amazon. Instead, they insinuate somehow that it’s yor own fault. You gotta laugh.
Just ignore it, it’s due to a strange defensiveness, much like the bloke who says the job should have gone to an Aussie. For goodness sake, the whole idea was to give someone from a tourist country the experience!
Bad luck on the stinging anyway, mate, and just keep your head down – I don’t dare to say anything in the slightest bit not over the top positive or I get my head bitten off! The In-laws are the worst.
I’ve never been stung but I hear it’s no picnic. I suppose it adds a bit of spice to what otherwise seems an idyllic, if a bit uneventful, stay.
Johnny, great to hear from you and your opinion as a Queenslander! It was a silly thing to do obviously being in the waters without the suit on but I have now had the experience and can tell others quite how awful it is! Suffice to say stinger suit sales in the Whitsundays have rocketed over the last few days so there is always a benefit to such a story. Have a great new year mate. Ben
Hi Ben,
Can you confirm that, as a caretaker of such a beautiful island, your jetski will have fully conformed to the highest environmental standards, and that you were in no danger of damaging any coral reefs with it?
Lee
Yes I can indeed confirm that Lee, the jetskis are operated under strict guidelines here with areas that they are allowed to be used in. We were operating in one of them. The Great Barrier Reef is not! Ben
Oof! Contract nearly ended and you got that. Sods law eh? Still, count yourself jolly lucky. That tiny monster can cause agonising pain that even the strong stuff barely manages to take the edge off. (Seen a documentary etc) Count your blessings and all that. Better luck in your next endeavour!
Hey,just heard abt the news from the TV travel programme host who interviewed you before from Taiwan!
hope you are doing fine and take care
keep enjoy your life there
Hey !!! Hope you feel better…Enjoy the life in this paradise island…..
Bob – France
Let’s thank God you are quite ok now! And I hope your fiancee feels better, too! (I can’t imagine how she felt!!!).
I have just known about your blog and accident thanks to the online version of an Italian newspaper, “Il Corriere della Sera”. Here’s the article: http://www.corriere.it/cronache/09_dicembre_30/lavoro-migliore-mondo-punto-medusa_21f37aae-f523-11de-8621-00144f02aabe.shtml
A really blessed new year!! Take care!
Ilaria
Thanks for the well wishes Ilaria, have a good 2010 yourself, Ben
Glad you’re ok Ben!
You were clearly the best man for the job. The Aussies obviously weren’t up to it ;oP
I’m glad to hear you are ok! I read online about you getting this job months ago. This is a fantastic blog! Keep up the good work, mate!
I watched the TV show hosted by Sakura few days ago in Taiwan, so I knew the biggest secret in the world – you only got the third best job in the world.( Bre is actually the one who got the best job in the world, and your friend got the second one. Just kidding ^_^) But Seriously, I think you have done a great job there, and I can feel your passion of letting the world know how global warming threatens The Great Barrier Reef, and if we don’t do anything about it, we might lose this beautiful scene forever in decades.
Thank you for sharing your life and job there, and let me know that “The best job in the world” is not as easy as I thought. I think you are the one who suit this job most, and I wish you get better soon, and keep your journey. Happy New Year to you and Bre. And if you get tired of Australia, please don’t forget that you are always welcome to visit Taiwan. Y(^_^)Y
Zohan, thanks so much for your kind words and I’m glad that you have enjoyed the adventures we’ve been having over the last few months. Bre is indeed the very lucky one! Hope to see you in Taiwan soon, Ben
hey ben! which camera your using there? the pics on flickr are amazing!
fabiana
Hi there Fabiana, I’ve been using a couple of different ones – usually a Canon Powershot D10 and sometimes my old faithful Canon EOS 350D. Thanks for the positive comments and have a great new year. Ben
glad to hear – you’ll live to fight on.
looks so beautiful there
hi ! be more careful ok?
Sure will, apologies for being an idiot and forgetting my stinger suit for one day! Ben
Hey mate!As Erik said, I’m glad you lived to tell the tale! Greeting from Brazil!
Happy 2010 far away from Irukandji!
Heavens!! I’m glad you’re OK! Will you be blogging about your next adventures, too? I hope so, as I’ve very much enjoyed this one!!
All best luck wherever life takes you ~
Hi there Bobbie, yes the blog will continue to run as I further my adventures in QLD. The next 18 months will be all about getting further under the skin of this great state and as I have more experiences I will post my blogs for you to see. I’m glad that you want to keep reading them! Thank you, Ben
This is an incredible story, but you have been born again.
Happy New Year.
Laura Patricia Macías
Aguascalientes, México.
http://cbtis195.blogspot.com
Any way… I envy you!!!
Ben – Glad to hear you made it through. My wife and I were on our honeymoon at Hamilton Island in 2001 when we had the exact same experience. We’d been educated by the lifeguards in Cairns about Irukandji, but told by staff on the island we were safe. – A few hours later, and my wife was being treated by Dr. Morris Lewen in the emergency room for her Irukandji sting. (Is he who treated you too?)
8 years later, she’s just gave birth to our first son. – She said the pain was comparable. I’m glad you made out well and enjoy the rest of your time there in paradise !
-DS & KS
Hi there David, yes it was indeed Morris who treated me with his magic cocktail of drugs to get me through the labour-like pain… totally mad experience and feel very lucky to have got away with it as lightly as I did. Have a great 2010, Ben
hi ben
thats makes people think that you have not quite got thr best job in the world ! swap mine with you any day , happy new year rich
Oh Ben!
you are lucky it wasnt too bad and glad to hear you are ok and recovered!
Im sure they don’t want your blood doing the best job!! And what happened to the best experience? Can some one put me out of my misery?!
Hey dude! I’m from Brasil! Here you’re a legend!
In last month ago i wass embraced by one jellyfish (“água viva” in portuguese) but i know, this medusa gives more pain! hahaha
Give a name to Kangaroo! The name “Maguila”, one boxer fighter from Brasil! hahaha
luck to you guy! survive and visits Brasil in 2010! haha! See ya!
(sorry my poor english!)
When we work in nature, are prone to accidents with the real locals.
It’s bad but it’s reality …
Strength and faith that you exercise this side biologist in your being.
Happy New Year!
Oh that was silly of you! Been here for 6 months and knowing about the stinger suit, why on Earth you didn’t wear it? Not good advertising!
A lapse in concentration I’m afraid – nothing more than that. Not the best advert no
Well its hard to believe you could get stung on such a brief time in the water. Anyway a few weeks ago I was up near where you were and I saw an Irukandji while I was swimming but fortunately I wore an stinger suit, but astonished that there were others near by that were swimming and not wearing it even though it was avaliable to them. Fortunately no one was stung there that day.
I will miss this blog…thanks to Tourism Queensland for the tales! And to Ben and Bre too. Happy New Year!
Hello Ben!!!
I am a brazilian blogger.
Happy New Year!!!
总算结果还不错！早日康复~
Happy 2010, a hug from Venezuela for that great nation Australia.
hey its my first time here!
and im glad ur ok now man,keep it up and be careful next time
i love the suit!so fun!haha
Ben你現在好點了嗎~~
我在台灣祝你未來更美好~~
新年快樂HAPPY NEW YEAR
hi ben .im ivan ,i from malaysia but working uk now !is u hometown ,hahaha !!im is taiwan travel programs fans,that’s why i know u injured! u all right now ？Hope you’re feeling better now!!
祝你早日康复
Hi Ben !
I wrote an article about your “irukandji syndrome” on my website Surf Prevention : http://blog.surf-prevention.com/2010/01/11/meilleur-job-du-monde-irukandji-syndrome/
Do you know what kind of “magic cocktail of drugs” Dr. Morris Lewin injected to you ? You can reply on my blog in english if you want.
Thanks.
Doc Guillaume Barucq. France.
I know Morphine was in there but by the time he’d mentioned the next one I was under the influence of it! Sorry. Ben
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