Singapore, Venomous Sea Snakes, Poisonous Fish, and other Dangerous Sea Creatures in Malaysia
Are there sharks in Singapore ? YES, and there are more dangerous sea creatures along the coast.
Millions of tourists flock to Singapore annually for a vacation in a tropical climate on a paradise isle. Unknown to most, this sprawling metropolis is home to some very deadly reptiles such as cobra snakes and crocodiles,
Some of the most deadly animals in Singapore are in the sea. The warm waters of the Singapore Strait makes it an ideal breeding and feeding area for some dangerous sea snakes, octopus and sharks.
Millions of tourists do not get attacked, stung or bitten whilst on vacation, but those that do, face potentially life threatening scenarios.
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Puffer Fish
Puffer fish have become renowned for poisoning diners in many restaurants, but they also secrete their toxin through their skin and spines.
If a puffer fish feels threatened, it will inflate itself and their spines will protrude. This makes them difficult to handle and hard to swallow.
The self produced venom is Tetrodotoxin, which is neurotoxic. This venom causes severe damage to the nervous system, and can kill If enough is ingested or handled.
Most non ingested poisonings happen when these fish are handled. Although only a small amount of venom is secreted, it can still cause skin irritation, sickness and rashes.
TOURIST WARNING: Human Organ Trafficking
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Scorpion Fish
Scorpion fish are bottom feeders which can be found amongst corals, seaweeds, and by rocks. Their mottled appearance is ideal as camouflage in every habitat.
This non aggressive fish has very sharp spines on its dorsal fin. Some bathers state that when stepping on the spines, it's like stepping on hypodermic needles.
Classed as a venomous and not a poisonous fish, it only uses its spines for defence. Most injuries occur when they are trod on.
Initial pain is excruciating, and the venom can still be injected into a victim, even if the fish is dead.
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Blue Ringed Octopus
An amazingly beautiful yet very deadly creature. The blue ringed octopus is relatively small at only 8 inches, but if agitated when touched, it produces a venom strong enough to kill 26 fully grown humans in minutes.
There is no blue ringed octopus anti venom available yet.
The venom is a cocktail of several agents including Tetrodotoxin and dopamine amongst others, which is over 1000 times more potent than cyanide.
Most victims usually do not realise that they have been stung as the sting is tiny and painless. Within minutes, victims will begin to feel breathless, nauseas, and partial paralysis sets in.
Many bathers, only minutes after being stung, cannot even move muscles to signal for help. Blindness may follow as the venom swiftly spreads through the body.
Death comes from cardiac arrest or suffocation as the respiratory system fails.
Victims should be given artificial respiration until medical help arrives.
Free Link: Venomous Snakes, Poisonous Spiders, and bugs in Malaysia
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Sea Snakes
Nearly all sea snakes are classed as mildly venomous. They can be found in swampy lands, deep water, and in the shallows along the beach.
Most sea snake bites come to nothing with the exception of mild irritation. Commonly, swimmers had not even realised that they had been bitten, until they got ashore and found a tooth protruding from their body.
If a victim has been injected with venom through a bite, then early signs of infection are nausea, headaches and possible vomiting.
Temporary partial paralysis may occur and if the venom is strong enough, then muscles operating the respiration system may fail causing asphyxiation.
Kidney failure, brown or black urine, and even cardiac arrest can follow days after the initial bite.
Sea snakes need to breathe air, and can be seen basking in the sunlight on top of the water.
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Sharks
Several species of shars live in and around the waters off of Singapore. Sharks such as he Black Tipped Reef Shark (above) and the bamboo shark are regular visitors to beach fronts.
The bamboo shark (right) grows to only 37 inches in length and poses no threat to humans.
The last recorded fatality from a shark attack was in Singapore was in 1954. It was a man working on behalf of the local police collecting cocaine sacks dumped overboard when smugglers were seen by the police.
In Malaysia, the last fatal shark attack was on a 13 year old boy in 2015.
Statistics reveal that shark attacks kill 2 people per year, whilst coconuts falling from trees kills over 150 people every year.
Sharks prefer to keep away from man. Thousands of years of being hunted have made these intelligent mammals wary.
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Box Jellyfish
The deadly box jelly fish species is spreading throughout the warmer oceans of the world.
This jellyfish actively hunts its' prey and can reach speeds of 4 knots per hour (4.6 mph). Typical jellyfish float with the tides whilst the Box jellyfish decides where it wants to go.
With 10 foot long tentacles and a body span of 30 cm, and weighing in at approximately 4.4 lb, the Box Jelly fish is a menace in the sea.
Not all the species of Box jellyfish are poisonous, but some are known to be man killers. In the Philippines alone, almost 40 people die annually due to this jellyfish.
Their colouring is almost transparent making them difficult to detect whilst swimming. The actual sting will be excruciating, similar to being branded with a red hot poker.
An elevated heart beat and palpitations are followed by sweating and possible convulsions. Muscle cramps and restrictive breathing follow prior to cardiac arrest..
Many deaths are caused by drowning before the victim can reach the shore and summon help.
NB: Urinating on jellyfish stings has never been scientifically proven to reduce the symptoms of any stings from a jellyfish.
Free Link: Singapore, Poisonous Spiders, Venomous Snakes, & Biting Insects
Comments
Sukhdev Shukla from Dehra Dun, India on August 28, 2015:
billericky, these seem to be really poisonous sea creatures. It is quite interesting to know statistics about damage, shark vs coconut falls. Thanks for sharing.
