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Jellies!!
 Sea
Jellies (also know as Jellyfish) are found in all oceans, from
the equator to the poles, from shallows to the deep sea. They
can range in size from less than an inch to over six feet
across. Most jellies are predators, capturing small fish with
their stinging tentacles. However, some jellies are "farmers,"
soaking up food chemicals produced by symbiotic algae that live
within their tissues. There are about 200 species of jellies
world-wide -- some are ocean drifters, others are found in quiet
bays and lagoons.
 Individual jellies are circular and symmetrical, with a ring of
tentacles around the central mouth. The tentacles have stinging
cells that are used for food capture and defense.
Portuguese Man-of-War, which
are related to jellyfish, but can't swim, can also be found at
times on Kauai. They can also have stinging cells in the
form of a long nematocyst thread.
Swimmers should always be alert when
Jellies or Man-of-war are present since some people are quite sensitive even
to mild Jelly stings. If stung by a jellyfish, many lifeguards and doctors
recommend rinsing the area with seawater, or applying vinegar to
the sting to deactivate the toxin. However, vinegar is
thought to make stings from a man-of-war worse, so try to
determine what type of animal you're dealing with.
After rinsing the area well, carefully remove any
part of the animal that still clings to the skin with tweezers
(or while wearing gloves). Don’t rub the area; that
can activate more stings. An ice pack can sometimes help
reduce discomfort. If the person stung seems to be showing
any signs of a serious allergic reaction (difficulty breathing,
altered state of consciousness) seek emergency medical attention
immediately.
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Sea Urchins
 You
will probably notice sea urchins when snorkeling. Sea
urchins,
which first appeared on Earth about 500 million years ago, look really cool, but are a
bit like little living
pincushions. They have long spines, which are used to
help move the sea urchin from place to place, to capture food, and to protect
the sea urchin from harm. If you step on a sea urchin or grab one by accident
while snorkeling,
you’ll wish you hadn't. So be careful where you step or sit when in the water.
If you get
punctured by a sea urchin, try to remove as much of
the spine as possible with tweezers, and soak the injured area
in hot water for 30 to 60 minutes. Carefully dry the wound
and apply antibiotic ointment. If it's a particular bad
puncture, appears to be infected, or isn't healing well, see a
doctor.
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Shells
 Many
people like to collect shells. However, as you know,
shells are created by little creatures to serve as their
portable home, and many of these creatures have a proboscis (a
long stinger) which they used to disable and capture prey. It
can also sting you. The proboscis can inject a venom
containing a neurotoxin, which causes pain, swelling, and
numbness, into curious folks who try to pick them up. Shells washed up on the beach have generally been vacated by their former owners,
so they may be fine to pick up, but use
caution with any shells in the
ocean; the original owner may still be present. The
recommended treatment, should you get stung while
handling a shell, is to soak the affected area in hot
water.
Sharks
Like any ocean,
the waters of Kauai do contain sharks. Tiger sharks or white-tipped reef sharks
are most common. Recently there
have been a slight increase in the number of reported shark
attacks - Bethany Hamilton being the best known.
However, your chances of being bitten by a shark are
actually very small, so fear of sharks shouldn't keep you out of
the water -- unless it's murky water. Sharks do hunt in
murky water and so that is not a safe place for you to be.
Sharks are also more active at dawn and dusk, so be observant if
you are in the water at that time. Sharks bite surfers
more often than swimmers because from below, a person on a surf
board seems to look a lot like a seal; a favorite shark
feast.
You are not
likely to see a shark on your trip, but if you do encounter one,
SWIM AWAY SLOWLY. Slow, calm movements will avoid
drawing their attention. If you thrash about in fear
trying to hurry away, that will get you noticed. The shark may
then mistake you for a fish in distress and decide you'd make a
good meal.
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