Box Jellyfish Spotted In Siloso Beach Waters, Sentosa Closes It Off Until Further Notice
In lieu of travel destinations outside of Singapore, some may settle for simply leaving the mainland for places like Sentosa, and enjoy a day out at the beach.
But beachgoers who fancy a dip in the waters at Sentosa’s Siloso Beach will have to wait a while after they closed access to the waters.
This is because they spotted a box jellyfish lurking in the waters on Friday (9 Oct).
As such, people won’t be allowed to enter the waters until further notice, Sentosa said.
Jellyfish spotted in Siloso Beach waters
Although details are scant at the moment, Sentosa said they sighted a box jellyfish in Siloso Beach’s waters today.
Their stings aren’t to be trifled with, as they contain venom that can be fatal to victims.
In the dual interests of safety and wellbeing of Sentosa beachgoers, they’ve closed the waters off to guests until further notice.
Sentosa said their Beach Patrol Officers (BPOs) have stepped up surveillance of the beaches and waters as a result.
Don’t touch jellyfish, alert others in case of sighting
Sentosa warned beachgoers to not touch jellyfish if you see them, and to alert others to their presence.
No, not for a watch-party or to catch them with a Poké Ball, but for everyone to get away. Their stings are dangerous, man.
We repeat, the wrong thing to do upon spotting a box jellyfish is to summon your Pokémon and challenge it to a battle.
If no BPOs are nearby, you can call the Sentosa Rangers at 1800 RANGERS (1800 726 4377).
First aid in case of a sting
While nobody’s allowed into the waters, there’s the possibility that someone gets stung by a jellyfish anyway.
In that case, NParks advises to get the victim to shore immediately and call 995.
Keep the victim calm and still, and don’t attempt to remove their tentacles with your bare hands.
Only use a towel or tweezers to remove them.
Meanwhile, you can use seawater and flood the sting areas for at least 30 seconds. Any other liquid will do if seawater isn’t available.
Stay away from Siloso Beach waters for now
Hopefully nobody at Sentosa gets stung, and if they do, that those around them can render first-aid.
For now, however, until the coast is clear, the waters are closed off. Here’s a PSA to those with impending beach plans.
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Featured image adapted from Sentosa and HowStuffWorks.
