Do You Need A Stinger Suit In The Whitsundays?
The most responsible answer to the stinger suit question is yes, you should wear a stinger suit while swimming in The Whitsundays and here is why.
Why?
Jellyfish or stingers, as they are commonly referred to are present in warm oceans all over the world. From Thailand to Jamaica and everywhere in between you could experience stingers.
Australia is the only location that really recommends the use of stinger suits for protection. You will not normally be offered a suit anywhere else.
In Australia, we offer stinger suits as a preventative measure that can be compared with a car seat belt. You may not actually need it on the day, but a little extra safety is always a good move.
If you are travelling from overseas and relying on your travel insurance, then most travel insurers will require you to provide evidence that a stinger suit was worn at the time of an unfortunate sting.
Being stung by a jellyfish in an area that should be covered by a suit will void your insurance and leave you with a hefty medical bill on top of the pain inflicted by the sting.
Australians on medicare should still wear a suit to protect themselves from the pain caused by a jellyfish sting. They can lead to hospitalisation and cause ongoing problems.
Red Cat Adventures offers suits at no additional cost on all of our boat tours, unlike other companies that charge extra, this takes the financial decision out of the equation. We also highly recommend that everyone entering the water wears a suit.
When is stinger season?
Technically stinger season is summer, but it’s not quite that simple. Jellyfish can be present on any day of the year, so we recommend and provide suits all year round.
Wearing a suit will also help you stay warm in the cooler months of winter, which will allow you to enjoy your snorkelling for longer.
Locations Where Stingers Can Be Present
- Bali
- Thailand
- Aruba
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Cayman Islands (U.K.)
- Curaçao (Netherlands)
- Dominican Republic
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Jamaica
- Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Dominica
- Grenada
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Sint Maarten
- Suriname
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turks and Caicos
- Brunei
- Burma (Myanmar)
- Cambodia
- Timor-Leste
- Indonesia
- Laos
- Malaysia
- Philippines
- Singapore
- Vietnam
- Vanuatu
- Fiji
- New Caledonia
- Tonga
- Papua New Guinea