If you're itching for a diving trip, try and stay clear the waters of Sabah because there's a very high chance that you'll get stung by a jellyfish.
The Sabah Fisheries Department told The Star Online in a report that the department has noted a sharp rise in the number of jellyfish spotted in the waters of the state.Although jellyfish sightings are pretty common in Sabah -- especially between March and July -- their numbers have reportedly seen a pretty dramatic increase during those months.
John Madin, a Borneo Marine Research Institute senior lecturer, told the news portal that the sudden sharp increase could be due to the prevaling dry spell in the state.
Madin added that beachgoers should avoid protected bays where the water is calmer as the jellyfish likes to lepak there.
According to the Fisheries Department, the most common species of jellyfish found at popular tourists spot such as Tanjung Aru is the chironomid box (chorpsalmus quadrigatus), also known as the obor-obor api.
The sting is known to be pretty venomous, so please ignore the urge to go swimming with the jellyfish, yeah?
What to do if you (or someone) got stung by a jellyfish
- First things first, you need to get the person out of the water
- Then, carefully wash the affected area with seawater to deactivate the stinging cells.
- If you notice a tentacle sticking out of the affected area, gently remove it using tweezers or a clean stick. If none are available, you can gently scrape it off using a credit card
- After removing the tentacles, rinse the area with hot water. It helps to reduce the pain and inflammation.
- Apply some calamine lotion on the affected area to reduce the irritation
- Take some painkillers (Panadol would help) and rest. If the affected area worsens, it's probably a good time to go to the hospital.