Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Marine Dangers
For the two of us, a trip to the Caribbean isn't complete without
snorkeling in the warm waters which circle every island.
While some inhabitants of these waters look scary, most pose
little danger. Exceptions are scorpionfish (a mottled pinkish
fish that hangs out on coral and is so ugly it actually looks dan-
gerous), sea urchins (painful if you step on their brittle spines),
jellyfish (which cause painful stings with their tentacles), and
stingrays (which are dangerous if stepped on; they can be
avoided by dragging your feet when wading). Fire coral, of
which there are many varieties, but all edged in white, will
burn you to defend itself if you brush against it.
The best precaution is to follow your mother's advice: look, but
don't touch.
Heat Dangers
In the Caribbean you'll find the mercury regularly rising to
high levels on many days and high humidity levels can make
the temperature feel much higher. In these conditions, you'll
need to take extra precautions to make sure you don't overdo
your sun exposure.
The first concern is heat cramps, muscle cramps caused be-
cause of lost water and salt in the body. From there, it's not far
to heat exhaustion, when the body tries to cool itself off and the
victim feels, well, exhausted and even nauseous. Finally, heat
stroke can set in, a life-threatening condition.
What can you do to avoid these conditions?
First, drink water - lots of water. Don't wait until
you're thirsty to reach for the water jug. Thirst is an
early sign of heat stress, so start drinking before it
reaches that point.
Slow down. Curtail your activities whenever possi-
ble and do like the animals do in the high heat -
move slowly.
Take lots of breaks.
Search WWH ::




Custom Search