Hazards Around Okinawa

Lionfish Lion Fish
The lion-fish belongs to the Scorpion fish family.
This brightly coloured fish is usually found in coral reefs, especially in shallow waters hovering in caves or near crevices. Lion-fish have venomous fin spines that can produce painful puncture wounds.
Fatalities, however, are rare.
The fish have elongated dorsal fin spines and enlarged pectoral fins, and each species has a particular pattern of zebra like stripes.
A person punctured by one of the sharp spines will immediately feel strong pain. Rapid swelling of the affected body area develops along with the possibility of making movement of limbs very difficult. Lion-fish stings can cause nausea, breathing difficulties, paralysis, convulsions and collapse. Even death may occur in exceptional circumstances. Most people survive in spite of the great pain. The venom in the spines remains active for days, so even discarded spines should be treated with caution. It may take several months for a full recovery and if the sting is left untreated, gangrene may develop.
First Aid
At first immerse the affected area (most often a hand or foot) into hot water. This is thought to improve the blood flow and disperse the venom. Local anesthetic agents may provide deep relief in most cases and occasionally a nerve-block may be required. An X-ray of the wound should be performed to detect any presence of broken spines, so any possible infection can be prevented.

Stone Fish
Its main habitat is on coral reefs, near and about rocks, or can be found dormant in the mud or sand. It feeds on small fish and shrimps. Stonefish blend into their surroundings and can be very difficult to see as demonstrated in the photo on the far right.

Venom
The sting causes excruciating pain and a great deal of swelling rapidly develops causing death to tissues. The severity of the symptoms depends on the depth of penetration and the number of spines penetrated. The symptoms of the venom are muscle weakness, temporary paralysis and shock, which may result in death if not treated.
Do not attempt to restrict the movement of the injected toxin.
Bathing or immersing the stung area in hot water may be effective in reducing the pain. transport the patient to the nearest medical centre. Hospitalisation for intravenous narcotic analgesia, local anaesthetic infiltration or regional block may be required.
Definitive management consists of administration of stonefish antivenin. Indications for antivenin include severe pain, systemic symptoms or signs of (weakness, paralysis) and injection of a large amount of venom.

Crown Of Thorns Starfish
One very dangerous starfish is Acanathaster planci, the Crown of Thorns starfish. This creature is easily recognized by its large size, sometimes over 16" in diameter. Its colour is reddish or greenish, has more than a dozen arms, which are covered in short, sharp spines which will penetrate gloves, boots and wetsuits. The spines are covered with toxic slime. Injury by the spines causes severe pain and nausea. And the pain can persist for days. Immersing the spiked area in HOT water can reduce the pain. Alocal anaesthetic can help, but best of all keep the wound in a bucket of constantly replenished HOT water. Medical attention is usually required.

Sea Urchins
These unaggressive individuals don’t move very fast. But if the current or surge takes you into one of them, you undoubtedly will! Sea urchins are pincushion like creatures (related to the starfish) that populate reefs worldwide. Many species have short, blunt spines. Other sport long, sharp spines, with very sharp tips, which act as natural hypodermic needles. They are generally brittle and break off easily beneath the skin. Toxin injected by the urchin’s venom glands can cause intense pain.

Moray eel Eel
Their mouth is wide, their jaws are equipped with strong, razor sharp teeth, which enable them to seize and hold onto their food (fishes, crustaceans and other small marine animals) and also to inflict serious wounds on their enemies, including humans.
They will attack humans - but only when disturbed or provoked and they can be quite vicious. (Although, they actually can be quite friendly once they are used to you - and you are used to them. Careful when you feed them as their teeth are indeed razor sharp and they might lurch at offered food, and offering fingers, very rapidly.)
Morays enjoy rocky areas, can be found living or just "hanging out" in holes, under rocks, crevices and tidepool ledges. To prevent contact and possible severe injury keep hands out of those rocky areas, holes and crevices. If you must, use a stick to probe. If you are fishing be careful, as dead fish, blood or bait will bring them out of their holes.

They injure you with their razor sharp teeth and powerful jaws that allegedly can lock. Injuries can result in bleeding, severe muscle damage - also chipped bones. Stop any bleeding with pressure, clean wounds thoroughly. Get medical help for severe wounds (be sure to guard against infection).

Sea Snake
Sea snakes are air breathers that inhabit the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific and are highly venomous.
Sea snakes have specialized flattened tails for swimming and have valves over their nostrils which are closed underwater. They differ from eels in that they don't have gill slits and have scales. Due to their need to breathe air, they are usually found in shallow water where they swim about the bottom feeding on fish, fish eggs and eels.
Aggressive only during the mating season in the winter, the sea snake is very curious, and they become fascinated by elongated objects such as high pressure hoses. Advice here is to inflate your BC so as to lift away from the bottom and the snake. Provoked snakes can become very aggressive and persistent --requiring repeated kicks from the fins to ward them off.
Persistent myths about sea snakes include the mistaken idea that they can't bite very effectively. The truth is that their short fangs (2.5-4.5mm) are adequate to penetrate the skin, and they can open their small mouths wide enough to bite a table top. It is said that even a small snake can bite a man's thigh. Sea snakes can swallow a fish that is more than twice the diameter of their neck.
Only a small proportion of bites are fatal to man, as the snake can control the amount of envenomation, a fact probably accounting for the large number of folk cures said to be 95% effective.
Intense pain is not obvious at the site of the sea snake bite; 30 minutes after the bite there is stiffness, muscle aches and spasm of the jaw followed by moderate to severe pain in the affected limb. There follows progressive CNS symptoms of blurred vision, drowsiness and finally respiratory paralysis. A specific antivenin is available.

Cone shell Cone Snail
A cone snail has a cone-shaped shell, a fleshy foot, a head, and tentacles. Cone snails live in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the Caribbean and Red Seas, and along the coast of Florida. They are not aggressive. The sting usually occurs when divers in deep reef waters handle the snails. Swimmers and snorkelers are unlikely to find cone snails in shallow intertidal waters. Their empty shells are prized items on sandy beaches.

Cone snail shells range in size from less than an inch to 9 inches long. The snail unwinds itself in the shell and comes out the opening. Much like a harpoon, a sharp venomous stinger stabs the snail's prey. Cone snails hunt worms and other snails. A few varieties of cone snails eat fish, and these are the most harmful to humans.

A sting most commonly occurs on the hand and/or fingers of an unsuspecting handler as well as on the feet of swimmers in shallow, tropical waters. Local stinging is followed within minutes by numbness, paresthesias, and reduced blood flow. Serious envenomations may result in nausea, cephalgia, generalized paralysis, coma, and respiratory failure within hours. Death is typically secondary to diaphragmatic paralysis or cardiac failure. C geographus may produce rapid cerebral edema, coma, respiratory arrest, and cardiac failure. In significant envenomations, symptoms may take several weeks to resolve. Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) may also be evident.

Blue-Ringed Octopus
The blue-ringed octopus is less than 5 inches in diameter with blue rings and luminous tentacles. Found in the Indo-Pacific Ocean area and especially common to southern Australia, the blue-ringed octopus is not an aggressive animal. When human contact with a blue-ringed octopus occurs, it is accidental. Avoid handling this octopus because its sting contains tetrodotoxin, which paralyzes the victim (see Pufferfish Poisoning). The sting is often fatal.
The victim may quickly have difficulty breathing, become paralyzed, and require artificial ventilation until a hospital can be reached.
Numbness, nausea, vomiting, changes in vision, and difficulty swallowing may also occur.

Jellyfish
Box Jellyfish/Sea Wasps are pale blue and transparent and bell or cubed shaped with four distinct sides, therefore the name box jellyfish.
Measuring up to 20 cm along each side of the cube or bell, the Box Jellyfish has up to as many as 15 tentacles on each corner which can be 3 metres in length with up to 5,000 nematocysts (stinging cells). The Box Jellyfish shoots itself along up to speeds of 4 knots in a jet-like motion.
Venom
You have virtually no chance of surviving the venomous sting, unless treated immediately. The pain is so excruciating and overwhelming that you would most likely go into shock and drown before reaching the shore. So don't go swimming alone! Be sure to know the first aid procedures.
First Aid. Never use methylated spirit or alcohol.
Domestic vinegars should be poured liberally over the tentacles to inactivate stinging cells as soon as possible. The tentacles may then be removed. Artificial respiration and cardiac massage may be required.
Where antivenin is unavailable, pressure-immobilisation may be used on limbs after inactivation of stinging cells, while the patient is being transported to the nearest medical centre.
(This photo was taken right off of Sunabe Sea Wall at the water treatment plant.)

HABU SNAKE

Habu, 6 feet in length/ Himi-Habu, 3 feet

Preys on small mammals

Habu can be found on the ground, in trees and bushes. Himi-Habu is found mostly on the ground

An average of 150 Okinawans are bitten every year, but rarely SOFA Status personnel. It is worth noting that most injuries associated from the Habu occur in “their” environment such as, sugarcane fields.

The Habu snakes are considered to be an aggressive snake, but like most snakes they will avoid human contact if possible. They are common through out the island. The Habu is nocturnal, and caution should be used walking and jogging at night; they have been known to bask on sidewalks and roads at night absorbing the day’s heat from the pavement. It is not likely that you will see this snake; however, if you should, do not attempt to capture or kill it, call Entomology. (Kadena, 634-1961).

Notice: Spear fishing while scuba diving is illegal in Japan and if you violate this law you could be arrested.
Rules and Guidelines for fishing and shellfishing