THE season of the sting has officially begun but there has been no sign yet of potentially deadly jellyfish in Far Northern waters.
Surf lifesavers are rolling out stinger nets across Far Northern beaches to protect swimmers from box jellyfish and irukandji.
After a six-month absence, nets went back in the water yesterday at Port Douglas, Ellis Beach, Palm Cove and Yorkeys Knob.
The safety enclosures will be rolled out today at Holloways Beach, Kewarra Beach and then Bramston Beach to Mission Beach tomorrow.
Surf Life Saving Queensland regional manager Col Sparkes said there were no signs yet of jellyfish but the nets were a precaution.
“We haven’t had any storms,” he said.
“There’s no rain, so we wouldn’t expect to get any box jellies at this early stage.
“But we always put the nets in during the first week in November.
“That’s our standard operated procedure.”
Almost 30 people across the region were stung by potentially deadly jellyfish in the past 12 months, the highest number in at least a decade, according to SLSQ statistics.
The influx was attributed to northerly winds, which forced the regular closure of most Cairns beaches throughout last summer.
People are advised to swim inside stinger enclosures and to wear full body Lycra suits to protect themselves against jellyfish stings. The season traditionally runs from November to March/April.
its that time of year again. Best you book in to a first aid course if you are planning on heading to the beach. Our first aid course in Canberra is what we think is great about training, you get the skills you need and also enjoy a fun day. We will provide you with a first aid course that covers all of the important information and includes jellyfish stings. We look forward to training you soon.