Box Jellyfish have returned with small jellies netted at Ellis Beach and Port Douglas this week.

The North Queensland branch of Surf Life Saving Queensland have also reported that a "major marine sting" occurred on Wednesday at Saxon reef North of Cairns, with the suspected culprit an irukandji.

Manager of Synergy Reef Sailing, Neil Pacey, can sympathise with the victim of Wednesday's incident, having been stung twice himself.

"I was rescuing someone on the reef and got stung on the back of the neck. I had hives and swelling within minutes," he said, adding that the species of jellyfish which stung him was unable to be identified.

Interestingly, having never suffered from allergies in his life until that point, Mr Pacey developed allergies to panadol, garlic, and antihistamines.

Six years later during a fishing trip to Wonga, he was stung a second time, this time by an irukandji. Miraculously, Mr Pacey's allergies disappeared. The sting of the irukandji has reversed the effects of the initial sting.

Symptoms of an irukandji sting include severe headache, backache, muscle pains, chest and abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, sweating, anxiety, hypertension, tachycardia and pulmonary edema.

An unusual and disturbing symptom that is reportedly associated with an irukandji sting is a feeling of "impending doom," where patients are certain that they are going to die.

Here are some safety tips from Surf Life Saving Queensland.

• Look for and observe warning signs;
• Swim in swimming enclosures along coastal regions;
• Do NOT swim when nets are closed;
• The use of full body length lycra swimming suit or wetsuit is also advisable. This device can reduce your chances of being stung by any jellyfish by well over 75% and is more than SPF 30+ rated so it’s a great barrier against skin cancer as well
• Please refrain from swimming at night;
• Dogs are NOT allowed in and near the stinger net enclosures; and
• Do not jump or play on blue or white booms of stinger nets.
  
  

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