Geraldton Blue Ringed Octopus Warning

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RobL
RobL
QLD
26 posts
QLD, 26 posts
16 Aug 2011 4:11pm
Saw a few guys out at St Georges beach in the last week and thought I'd drop in a heads up.

COMMUNITY SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Warning on Blue-ringed Octopus
August 12, 2011
The City of Greater Geraldton would like to warn the public that Blue-ringed Octopus
have been sighted coming ashore at St Georges Beach, Bluff Point, Geraldton.
The octopus are rarely more than 12 centimetres long and are well camouflaged with
yellow, brown and grey bodies, with dark brown blotches and bands on their
tentacles. They should not be touched and viewed from a distance only.
The Blue-ringed Octopus is extremely venomous with a painless bite that can cause
paralysis and in rare cases death. The octopus give a warning before they bite by
developing brilliant blue rings.
Symptoms include nausea, hazy vision and the loss of touch, speech and the ability
to swallow. There is no anti-venin available in Australia.
If bitten apply a pressure immobilisation bandage and urgently call an ambulance.
mollydooka
mollydooka
WA
252 posts
WA, 252 posts
16 Aug 2011 7:39pm
Was surfing Geraldton back beach about 15 years ago, water full of seaweed, saw something float by that looked like a little squid so scooped it up. As I was holding it in the palm of my hand, its tentacles developed blue rings Rapidly flicked it.
The weird thing is that for some reason I had put on some surfing gloves that day that I never used to wear (unwanted birthday present from ex-sister-in-law).........someone looking after me??! (no, I'm not religious, but I did go to an Indonesian seance once where the medium claimed that my paternal grandfather, who died years before I was born, is always looking after me.........go figure )
Tux
Tux
VIC
3829 posts
Tux Tux
VIC, 3829 posts
17 Aug 2011 9:02am
Used to see these little ****ers all the time at seperation point when I was growing up...
rager
rager
QLD
437 posts
QLD, 437 posts
17 Aug 2011 9:45am
Dragged one up in a net inside Tallebudgera Creek right near the boatramp when I was fishing as a kid. I didn't know what it was so of course I grabbed it but luckily by the top of the head not underneath where the bitey bits are and the rings flared up iridescent blue. It was only small (about 10cm) and I dropped it immediately. When I told my old man about it later on he said that's about as big as they get!
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