AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Caye Caulker What stung me?

This past July (yes, it takes me that long to inquire! ha!) I was swimming at the split. I was paddling along and saw something that looked like a piece of turtle grass- so i didn't get out of its path- whatever it was....it stung me. My arm was on fire, it was swollen and hurt like hell. Oh yeah, and there were these weird vein looking marks coming from it and going up,down and across my arm.

I've tried doing some research, but I can't find anything that fits this things appearance. I swear, it looked like a piece of grass. Does anyone know?

21 days until my b-day celebration in Belize!!! wooooohooooo! I can't wait to be back!!!

Megg~

Wow, sounds like whatever got you was venomous! Any time you get those "vein" marks that's a sure sign that it had some sort of poison. If anything like that ever happens again get to a doctor immediately.

Sorry, wish I could help on figuring out what it was! I'm sure someone around here will get it!

Maybe it was a stray tentacle from a jelly fish. I had a stray man-o-war tentacle wrap around my leg one time and it hurt like a burn! I rubbed a lime on it and it helped sooth it immediately.

Ouch! on the man-war tentacle. I considered the stray jelly fish tentacle....

I had the notion to find a doctor- but I thought it was too funny to go in and say "I was stung by sea weed!" ha! ha!

Thank you guys! I'll be avoiding all floating things in the water.

2 yrs. ago I was in S.P. by Wet willys laying on a raft at the end of the dock where all the kids swim & a purple Man O War rolled up on my arm, it was clear & blueish in color with a sac, my arm was on fire & it left 5-6 tenacles on my upper arm, the pain shot down to my lower back & I could hardly move.
I was helped to the clinic & the pain was unbearable so they put me on Morphine, spent 3 hrs. there & was given some type of steroids to help the healing. I had a tatoo for about 4 months.
Doctor said it was a Purple Man O War.
It was the worst pain I ever experienced.

How do you identify these "things"? Are they snake like? iiikkkeeee - I'm already afraid of creatures of the water!

Maybe it was a man-o-war that got me. The pain was shooting down my arm and back, but it wasn't as severe as your encounter. Glad you're ok, J Dog!

Meggs my guess is there was a Man-O-War tenacle in that seaweed.
If you had gotten a hold of the whole thing you would of had to see a doctor. I was almost crying it hurt so bad, then the Doc told me no alcohol for 48 hrs, I lasted about 24 hrs. lol!!
After I got out of the water a guy from the dive shop came over & poured some apple vinegar on it to nuetralize it & scraped off the tenacles,he also helped me to the clinic.

Just to put things in balance, in five years operating a dive centre I've only had one guest who was significantly hurt by a jellyfish. Lots of minor irritation from pica-pica and I believe some people react badly to it, but I've never seen a bad reaction.

Pica-pica, is there anything that will prevent it. Do you know what it actually is? I can not find any info about it. It can cause a terrible itchy rash.