Poisonous snakes, venomous spiders and man eating sharksare waiting for the unsuspecting tourist who choose a vacation in the Seychelles Islands. Stinging jellyfish, sea snakes, and all manners of creatures can turn cheap family vacations in the Seychelles into a nightmare. Fatal bites have taken the lives of bathers as occasionally, a rogue shark will hunt the waters waiting for an unsuspecting swimmer.
Tropical jellyfish can kill a human in minutes, whilst some snake bitescan cause a long and painful death. Life saving surgery should not be part of a cheap package vacation, nor should losing a loved one. On August 16th 2011, a honeymoon was cut short when a man went into the sea for a swim and was killed by a shark, several weeks after a French man had been killed by a shark attack in the same area.
Welcome to the wonderful, beautiful, yet sometimes deadly, Seychelles, enjoy your vacation or holiday.
Boomslang Snake
The Seychelles comprise of 115 separate islands off the South East coast of Africa. As with all sub tropical places, they are prone to a much higher population of deadly insects and animals. The Boomslang Snake is a small, yet formidable creature. It can open its' mouth to a 90 degree angle and can deliver a powerful potent injection of venom from its fangs at the rear of its' mouth. Meeting this snake whilst on vacation in the Seychelles is a scary thought.
The venom produced by the Boom-slang snake is hemotoxin, which prevents blood clotting. This may cause a bitten victim to die from internal bleeding as the venom spreads through the blood stream. Other possibilities and symptoms include nausea, sleepiness and permanent mental disorders. The venom is slow activating which does give time for the anti venom to be given, but then some people underestimate the potential of the bite unti it is to late.
The Boomslang venomous snake is a tree dwelling snake and has often been seen hanging down from trees and being inadvertently walked into. It is a shy snake but will retaliate if being threatened or attacked. Do not approach this snake if it is seen, use the zoom lens on the camera to take any pictures, do not try and get close, your vacation and life depends on it.
Sea Snakes
Sea snakes can be found all over the globe in warm waters, including the Seychelles. They are mainly very colorful and can grow to nearly four feet in length. The initial bite from this snake may not even be noticed by the swimmer, but the teeth can remain in the bite wound. There is usually little or no swelling around the wound which makes a bather believe that they have not been bitten. Occasionally a fatal deception.
Early symptoms of a sea snake bite will include a dry tongue, headaches, sweating, and vomiting. Within thirty minutes the victim will feel tenderness in all the muscles of the body and a constant aching. Soon, paralysis of muscles will occur in respiration and swallowing, this alone can cause death through asphyxiation. The urine may turn brown or even black and lead to acute renal failure. Within six hours the onset of a cardiac arrest, then death.
Sea snakes are dangerous and are potentially a life taking creature. Avoid at all costs. If a sea snake is seen, do not swim in the water, and take heed of any local warnings which have been posted to warn of danger. Vacations or holidays to the Seychelles are out of this world for many travellers, always be alert and ready to run for your life just in case.
Spiders
They are everywhere. Spiders have invaded these beautiful islands and have never left. They are not venomous, but there may be the occasional immigrant spider waiting to nip an unsuspecting traveller. When booking places to stay in the Seychelles, it may be advisable to opt for an apartment off of the ground floor.
The Palm Spider is quite a large spider and can frighten many people. The long legs ensures that this spider can run when it needs to. Different islands in the Seychelles are home to different types of spider. Be prepared and take a spider repellent away with you before leaving home for your vacation.
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Scorpions
There are several species of scorpions living on some of the Seychelles Islands. Some of the species, including the "Chiromachus Ochropus" is protected by law. Although these little beasts do not kill humans, usually, they can deliver a venomous sting from their tail or a nasty nip from their front claws.
The sting is easily treated with anti histamenes and a lay down for a couple of hours. But to be sure, seek medical attention just in case if stung.
Beautiful but Deadly
Box Jellyfish
Also known as the "Sea Wasp" is mainly known to fester in the warm waters off of the Australian coast. But as it is usually propelled by the wind, this venomous creature has been found around Africa, Florida and Japan. The box jellyfish sting is lethal to nearly all sea animals and humans. People on vacation or holiday in the Seychelles are to avoid the beaches at all costs if told to do so by local life guards or police.
These sea creatures have been known to move up to six meters per minute. There are several different species of which some only give minor stings, whereas others have been labelled as one of the most venomous creatures in the world. Approximately 20-40 people in the Philippines alone, die each year from Box jellyfish stings. In Hawaii, approximately 7-10 days after a full moon, lifeguards have closed beaches because the influx of box jellyfish is so enormous.
Death By Jellyfish
Children are more at risk from this jellyfish because of their lower body mass and this has resulted in more child deaths in recent years. A ten year old girl survived multiple box jellyfish stings in 2010 and has been praised as a medical miracle. There can be as many as fifteen tentacles and each one can be up to three meters in length on each jellyfish.
The initial sting may not be felt, but the tentacles will still pump venom into a victim if the jellyfish is dead or the tentacle has been removed from its' body. Vinegar will prevent more toxins from being pumped into the victim, but will not stop or ease the pain. Once stung, cardiac arrest can happen quite quickly. Seek medical attention immediately if an encounter with a box jellyfish has happened. Do not pee on the wound, it has never been proven to work.
NB: Vacations or holidays in the Seychelles are enjoyed by millions of people every year without incident.
Tiger Shark
Shark attacks are usually a rarity in the Seychelles, but as every knows with recent press reports, it does happen. The Tiger Shark has been known as a man killer and does frequent the water around the Seychelles Islands. The Tiger Shark can reach lengths of 20 feet ( 6m ) and is second on the list of sharks responsible for attacks on humans after the Great White Shark.
This species of shark can be found in shallow waters along the coast of warm, tropical climates. Between 1959 and 1976, nearly 5000 tiger sharks were systematically culled to protect the tourism industry, but the attacks on man did not decrease. The Tiger Shark will eat anything. It eats turtles, dolphins, humans, car tyres, number plates, and even whales.
Tiger Sharks were said to be responsible for some of the deaths of the crew of the USS Indianapolis during World War II. After being torpedoed, 900 crew went into the water, only 317 came out. The rest were eaten and chewed on by Thresher Sharks and Tiger Sharks.
Feeding sharks whilst scuba diving has been part of the Seychelles tourist industry for years. It has been said that feeding wild sharks this way, has attracted many more sharks to the area including rogue sharks responsible for the attacks on humans. Many people on vacation in the Seychelles have now stopped this type of tourism.
Bull Shark Attack. Lucky to be Alive
Bull Sharks
Bull Sharks have also been known to attack and kill humans every year. Shark attacks on man have increased every decade since records were started in 1900. During 1900 there were only 20 recorded unprovoked attacks on humans worldwide. During the 1940s, there were 100, and by the 1990s the were over 500 annual attacks on humans. By the year 2000, there were over 650 shark attacks ever year, most on people whilst on a vacation.
Bull Shark
Most of the shark attacks have been blamed on the Great White Shark, but the Bull Shark has also had its' fair share of human fatalities. This shark is common in the Seychelles although not yet blamed for many shark attacks, but has killed on many occasions.
The Bull Shark is known for its aggression and unpredictable behaviour and can usually be 11 feet long. This species of shark is found in shallow waters and is very territorial, and will attack any animal that enters its domain, making this shark very dangerous to humans. They can accelerate rapidly and can catch nearly every aquatic mammal and have a bite force of 1,250 lbs per square inch.
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