When you think of Hawaii, you think of the gorgeous beaches and palm trees. What you don’t think about is some of its scary sea creatures. Some of these can be dangerous and their venom can cause excruciating pain. To make it easy for you, we have made a list of 9 of the top scary creatures to look out for in Hawaii.
1. Cone Snails
They may seem pretty and harmless but don’t be fooled. Cone snails are one of the most dangerous sea animals in Hawaii. Their venom is extremely poisonous to humans. There are many of these species in Hawaii, 34 to be precise, however, not all are venomous. Three of these 34 varieties are harmful to humans, namely the Textile, Striated, and Banded Marble cone snails; they are strong enough to kill humans so you may want to stay clear of them. Since they all look similar it can be difficult to tell them apart which is why you should avoid them all.
2. Box Jellyfish
The box jellyfish is one of the most deadly animals that you’ll find in Hawaii. They are also popularly referred to as sea wasps and marine stingers. You can recognize them from their cube-shaped bodies. They’re mostly found in the Southern Hemispheres Pacific Ocean. These creatures can grow up to 10 feet in length and their venom is extremely dangerous for humans. They contain toxins that can affect the heart, the nervous system and so much more. It can even cause heart failure. While lifeguards on the beaches are extremely vigilant of them in the water, you should keep a lookout too.
3. Centipedes
Centipedes are common in Hawaii. There are three types that are popularly found, two of which are harmless while one can be quite dangerous. This one is known as the giant centipede and has a few other names that it’s referred to as such as the Jungle, Vietnamese and Chinese Red-Headed Centipede. It is a nasty creature that loves to eat every living thing that it can find. If provoked it will react instantly. Its aggressive nature doesn’t hold it back from attacking humans. What’s even scarier is that once it bites humans it continues to cling on to the skin and continue biting. It is extremely painful and can even cause swelling.
4. Venomous Sea Urchins
Indigenously known as ‘wana’, these long-spine venomous sea urchins are a real danger so you need to make sure to stay away from them. Don’t be fooled by their size, although they are small they are feisty. These creatures lurch onto rocks, corals and other surfaces, which often causes people to step on them. The venom that they give off can be extremely painful. To save yourself from them you can wear sea shoes and be vigilant while going near corals etc. Their spines in particular are the ones that are most dangerous because if they break off and come into the body they can be very hard to remove. The wounds can also be easily infected so that’s something you’ll have to be careful about too.