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Woman swims from 'hidden beach' but realises life is in danger when creatures join her

Melanie has revealed the extent of her injuries after she went snorkelling off the west coast of Japan only to find herself in the middle of several unwanted creatures

[A snorkeller had a lucky escape off Japan's west coast (stock)]

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A snorkeller had a lucky escape off Japan's west coast (stock)(Image: Cavan Images/John Duarte Media via Getty Images)

A woman who went snorkelling off the western coast of Japan has expressed her relief after she suddenly realised she wasn't alone in the ocean around her. Melanie, who is based in Okinawa, shared stunning underwater footage of herself and admitted it "could have been way worse".

She explained that she had been swimming alone close to a hidden beach when she heard the "saxophones becoming louder". Melanie then panned her camera around the sea to reveal a significant number of potentially deadly box jellyfish nearby.

According to National Geographic, box jellyfish have a frighteningly powerful venom used instantly stun or kill prey, like fish and shrimp, so their struggle to escape wouldnt damage its delicate tentacles. "Their venom is considered to be among the most deadly in the world, containing toxins that attack the heart, nervous system, and skin cells," they explain online.

"It is so overpoweringly painful, human victims have been known to go into shock and drown or die of heart failure before even reaching shore. Survivors can experience considerable pain for weeks and often have significant scarring where the tentacles made contact."

The box jellyfish can have up to 15 tentacles that can reach 10 feet in length. "Each tentacle has about 5,000 stinging cells, which are triggered not by touch, but by the presence of a chemical on the outer layer of its prey," National Geographic warns.

As for Melanie, went on to offer her followers a glimpse of her left forearm in the aftermath, which was covered in horrific lumps from the jellyfish' sting, whilst other parts of her body were left scarred. Since posting the clip, more than two million TikTok users have tuned in to witness those injuries.

One person warned in response: "My box jellyfish sting gave me a 10+ year long autoimmune disease, girl be careful!" A second person pointed out: "Omg the box jellyfish in Australia are about the size of your thumbnail and will usually kill you within a few minutes. If they don't kill you, you have incredible paid for the rest of your life and they mess you up badly. I thought these are what you were talking about and freaked out."

A third asked: "What did the hospital say? That looks like hell." To which Melanie revealed: "I didn't go to the hospital, first life threatening symptoms show minutes after the sting, since I didn't have anything I assumed I was good."

While a fourth TikTok user said: "They always have signs on the beaches when it's jellyfish season." Melanie countered: "It's a really remote one, not many people know about it! They can't really check every beach in Okinawa every day to advertise."

And she later added: "It apparently hurt a lot, the most painful jellyfish in Japan. I'm not very sensitive to pain fortunately, so I didn't feel it much. It also depends on the exposure time, like if you barely touch it or get suck in it (that would be really bad and can be deadly in minutes). It lasted three months for the itch to go last time I got stung."

Healthline offers the following advice when it comes to box jellyfish stings:

How to prevent a box jellyfish sting

Here are some ways to prevent a box jellyfish sting:

• Avoid swimming or wading in areas with box jellyfish
• If youre walking along the shore or in the water, wear water shoes
• Talk to locals in swimming areas that are known to have box jellyfish to make sure there havent been recent sightings
• Look for any posted signs or warnings about box jellyfish and avoid potentially infested waters
• Wear a bodysuit, wetsuit, or stinger suit to protect your skin when in the water
• Only use beaches that have lifeguards who may be able to help if you get stung
• Come prepared with first aid supplies and information on what to do if youre stung by a box jellyfish

Box jellyfish sting symptoms

Symptoms from a box jellyfish sting will vary depending on the severity of your interaction with the creature.

You may notice these symptoms first:

• severe stinging or burning pain
• red skin wounds that look like caterpillar tracks

Symptoms may then escalate to:

• disoriented behaviour from pain
• loss of consciousness
• back, chest, or abdominal pain
• high blood pressure
• elevated heart rate

In the most severe cases, a person can experience cardiac arrest, which can lead to death.

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