Recent cases of pet dogs being poisoned by sea slugs they’ve eaten at the beach have highlighted the need to supervise our children when they’re investigating the seashore. Marine biologists warn that while children are unlikely to eat sea slugs or jellyfish, they can still be at risk. Marine biologist Rod Asher, from the Cawthron Institute in Nelson, offers some tips for teaching your kids safety at the beach. Teach your kids to be safe around sea life

HANDS OFF

“Look, but don’t touch!” is a good motto and can be explained to a child in terms of imagining someone coming and lifting them out of their safe home environment. How would they feel and what would they be prepared to do to protect themselves?

SIMPLE LESSONS

Before letting your children play on their own on the shore front, spend time with them pointing out potentially harmful slugs, jellyfish and sea urchins. It is a good rule of thumb to teach them that most creatures in the sea are more scared of humans than humans are of them and usually do their best to keep out of our way. It is us who venture into their home and, if we treat them well, we can enjoy watching them without harm. If we poke and prod them, it’s only natural for them to defend themselves. Once kids understand why sea creatures do what they do, they’ll be less likely to disturb them.

SAFETY FIRST

Teach your children to treat all unknown things they find in the sea as potentially dangerous and not to pick them up with their bare hands, no matter how much they may want to. Encourage your child to leave slugs and snails in rock pools where they belong, rather than lift them out and risk hurting themselves and the sea life they are examining.

INGESTING TOXINS

Many sea creatures have toxins they use to protect themselves and a child will only be harmed if they ingest these toxins. This could happen if they touch a slug and later lick their fingers or wipe the substance on food they are eating. Sea slug toxin is a nerve poison and can affect kids quickly. Any child who gets sick after playing at the beach should be closely monitored.

JELLYFISH

Another creature to look out for at the beach is the jellyfish, which can sometimes sting. The clear, plate-like ones we often see washed up on the sand are harmless, but some jellyfish can sting. These include bluebottles, which are easily identifiable by their bright blue colour; the large red and purple lion’s mane; plus a tiny 1cm jellyfish with an orange or yellow centre. Don’t let your child swim if you see these jellyfish in the water and don’t let kids play with them on the beach. are quite large, about 5cm long, and may look like a lump of dirty, sticky jelly. Some are camouflaged and these usually go unseen by people foraging through rock pools and lifting rocks.

STING REMEDY

If your child is stung by a poisonous jellyfish, first rinse the tentacles off the skin with seawater (don’t use fresh water as this causes the stings to release even faster), then soothe the site with vinegar.

AVOID INFECTION

Sea urchins and stingrays have nonpoisonous barbs but wounds from these are easily infected by bacteria, causing a nasty secondary infection. Treat any cuts or puncture wounds swiftly by cleaning with liquid antiseptic and then reapplying ointment frequently. Even simple cuts from shells or sharp rocks can become infected very quickly, especially in hot

LIFE’S A BEACH

In New Zealand, we are so lucky to have such wonderful beaches right on our doorstep. We can all enjoy the beach and sea environment, but it’s important to respect its many moods and myriad sea creatures. If you do, you and your children will find exploring the seashore a rewarding life experience.