Almost Everything you wanted to know about Sea Lice , But were afraid to ask

[Pixie_Dust]

Have any of you ever gotten sea lice out of season? I am trying to decide when to go on vacation, and if we can avoid those it would be great. But I guess a September or October cruise would put us into hurricane season, so it's always something!

 

[AnnaB]

Just want to make sure - we will be sailing on Nov 2nd. Can anyone confirm for me that I will not be sailing during "their season" and therefore won't need to worrry about the little critters. Thanks a million !

 

[BraveMom3]

This is my first time to wander into the "cruise forum". I'm currently doing my first serious thinking about a DCL cruise. I travel alone with 3 children (ages 10, 6, and 5), and this subject really got my attention! This reminds me so much of the "red bugs" (don't know if that's what an entomologist would call them ) we have here in South Mississippi. They do the same thing, such as attack the most in areas inside your clothing, especially where there is something binding like the waistline of your pants, and other areas of your underwear!! These things, that you cannot see, will drive you crazy with itching for days. You can be sure that if I do take myself and the kids on a cruise that I will most definitely invest in some of the Safe Sea product. Can you imagine listening to that for days and days of your trip!!!

 

[albiats]

Originally posted by Pixie_Dust
Have any of you ever gotten sea lice out of season? I am trying to decide when to go on vacation, and if we can avoid those it would be great. But I guess a September or October cruise would put us into hurricane season, so it's always something!

My very own opinion -
It's a giant ocean out there and there are lots of those liittle guys swimming around. Some of them may not be as smart as the others and may not know that their 'season' is over, or they may have lost their calendar.

In other words, I think there will be some that start sooner and some that stay later, so I will be prepared with a bottle of Safe Sea whenever I cruise.

It's a small price to pay for the assurance that I'm doing all that I can to make sure that I have an enjoyable cruise experience. I get the one with the SPF30 sun block included and I know I need that when I go out, so it's still one lotion to apply, so no additional trouble.

I was on a DCL cruise this past January and I was in the water at Castaway Cay for 3 or 4 hours. I used the Safe Sea, but did not reapply it. I did have a localized red area under my trunks but my DW was in the same water and always with 10 to 20 feet of where I was and she didn't have any problems under her suit. I didn't ask anyone else on board and I also didn't overhear anyone else complaining. So it could have been my imagination, but I'm going to play it safe and get a bottle for each cruise.

 

[disneyholic family]

we were on the july 4th cruise....
my kids and husband used the anti sea lice sunscreen which has to be the grossest stuff i've ever had to put on them.....and it's really hard to wash off...
i didn't use it (i never use sunscreen and i wasn't about to start....especially given its gross texture)...
well....i didn't get sea lice and neither did they...
the moment we all got out of the water we headed straight to the showers and washed off completely (even pulling our bathing suits awy from our skin so that water went down inside them....an area where in any case, you don't usually put sunscreen)...

i suspect that shower is the most important part of the whole anti sea lice procedure...

 

[LianeMJ]

They are indeed real. I have lived in West Palm Beach all my life and have gotten them pretty bad at times. They aren't present year round, only in certain months, and some people's skin types seem to be more suseptible to them. For example, my dad never seems to get them but I always get a bunch. They look and feel sort of like chicken pox. Just shower real well and you should be okay. The last cruise we took in December we had no sea lice problems.

 

[GenieDana]

Anyone who still has a bottle of this stuff please repond??

Can you post the ingredient list? I am curious what is in this stuff that would prevent a sting, which is a mechanical reaction (touching the jellyfish, triggering the shot).

I spoke with some Iron man triathletes I know and they use petroleum jelly in practice and competition (Florida Gulf). I suspect since most of you describe this as a very thick gel, it might be creating a physical barrier, not a chemical one.

Would a heavy lathering of sunscreen offer the same protection?

Someone please post the ingredients - Thanks!

 

[GenieDana]

P.S. - Some additional research yielded that this product is "derived from the protective mucous secreted by clownfish."

Chemical or Physical?

 

[albiats]

Originally posted by GenieDana
Anyone who still has a bottle of this stuff please repond??

Can you post the ingredient list? I am curious what is in this stuff that would prevent a sting, which is a mechanical reaction (touching the jellyfish, triggering the shot).

I spoke with some Iron man triathletes I know and they use petroleum jelly in practice and competition (Florida Gulf). I suspect since most of you describe this as a very thick gel, it might be creating a physical barrier, not a chemical one.

Would a heavy lathering of sunscreen offer the same protection?

Someone please post the ingredients - Thanks!

I still have some left from a previous cruise, it's the 'Safe Sea' product with SPF 30.

It says it was made in Israel and sold by Nidaria Technology Ltd. I ordered it from the Internet from www.lifestylesdirect.com.

The active ingredients are listed as:
Octyl Methoxycinnamate
Octyl Salicylate
Oxybenzone
Titanium Dioxide

It warns that in case of sting, do not use Safe Sea as a treatment. Seek medical attention.

It also states specifically in the instructions block that it should be applied under the bathing suit.

It was specifically developed to help protect against the stinging of most jellyfish, Sea Nettle, Sea Lice (Seabathers Eruption) and Coral. It was not yet tested against Potuguese man-o'-war and Box Jellyfish.

Cautions are:
For external use only. Avoid contact with eyes. Discontinue use if signs of irritation or a rash appear.

hth

 

[disneyholic family]

it's my understanding that it's both a chemical and physical barrier....(in other words. regular sunscreen will NOT work).....

as for not having been tested against portuguese men o war...that's not up to date...i live in israel where the stuff is made.....we do have portuguese men o war (lucky us) and it does work against them...

as i noted in my other post, i didn't use it on castaway cay and i didn't see the need for it as long as you shower like a maniac as soon as you get out.......
however, if i were to go swimming here (which i don't do either since i hate salt water) i would most defnitely use the stuff.....people who swim here during the men o war season swear by it......and if you've ever seen a portuguese man'o war you'd be happy to use it too , no matter how vile it feels on the skin.......those babies are HUGE.....gigantic....and revolting....and deceptive....on top of the water they just look like big plastic bags floating on the water.....awful awful awful....and if you've ever been stung by one you wouldn't worry about the slimey feel of the sunscreen.....

 

[TINKFAN3]

My DS had sea lice 2 years ago. He had a rash everywhere and it itched unmercifully!
When I took him to the DR and asked about sea lice the DR laughed and said he never heard of it. Well, the next year we bought the Safe Sea for sea lice and no one had the bumps except for my DS#1who thought he was too cool...well the critters got his legs!
My advice is get the Sea Safe!

 

[BriarfoxinWA]

O.k. I bought the SafeSea for our upcoming cruise on 3/29. We're doing the Stingray City snorkle and planning on doing some snorkling at Castaway Cay. My question is do I need to apply the SafeSea for both or just on Castaway?

I'm allergic to some types of sunscreens so I'm going to have to try out the SafeSea before we go. My reaction to the Safesea may be worse than the potential of getting attacked by Sea Lice!

 

[TINKFAN3]

I would put it on both places. I am unsure what is the 'season' for sea lice. You may want to find that out since you are sensitive to sunscreen. It could be you won't need any. We go in June and I know that is the season for the pesk things.

Have a great cruise!!

 

[dizneykids]

when you return, please post your experience with the SafeSea. i, too, have very sensitive skin and have trouble with certain sunscreens. i've bought two bottles of the safesea (there are 5 of us with 3 days of planned ocean time), but am a little reluctant to use it myself given my hypersensitivity. sometimes, a reaction to a lotion can be worse than the problem that requires the lotion!

 

[disneyholic family]

why not test a little bit of it on your skin now...long before your cruise...
that way you'll know if you're sensitive to it or not...

 

[dizneykids]

oh, that i will do, but with sunscreens, i've found that what seems okay at home can be a problem when applied and worn in intense sun and heat. it's weird, i know, but that's my life

 

[Verniebird]

Do the beaches post anything saying anything about an infestation? Also, going on the May 10 Western with stops in Key West, Gr Cayman, Cozumel & Castaway Cay. Is sea lice more concentrated in the Key West/CC area? Or should we use it at Cozumel and Gr Cayman also? I have 1 bottle to use for 2 people, will that be enough?

 

[BriarfoxinWA]

dizneykids - I have the same problems with sunscreen. I can try it on a "test spot" prior to going and really using it and have not problems. But when I'm out in the sun with it on I would break out in a rash.

We all used the Safesea only at Castaway Cay. I had no problems at all with it. I did test it out at home, but that doesn't always work for me. We made sure that we snorkled in the morning fairly early and avoided stirring up the turtle grass. We didn't see any evidence of jellyfish at that time. We did have a family sitting near us on the beach come back from snorkling late in the afternoon that said the small jellyfish were terrible. (We did see some about the size of a fifty cent piece out at the adult beach.) Apparently they were very thick and their daughter had been stung.

On our 3/29 cruise the weather wasn't nice enough to try going to the beach anywhere else - so I can't comment on whether there were any posted signs about the Sea Lice.

Hope that helps.

 

[happylady]

Originally posted by Verniebird
Do the beaches post anything saying anything about an infestation?

Yesterday, we were at a great public beach (Carlin Park in Jupiter) just north of West Palm Beach. And, yes, they did post the possibility of sea lice.

Sea lice is a nickname, and probably only know in the Central and South Florida area. The water has to be in a certain temperature range for the there to be a problem....just as the water is warming up for the summer from @ March to July. In a post on this thread from a year ago, I related how my son became victim last year. We've never used any of the products on the market, but just rinsed VERY, VERY well after getting wet.

 

[laf]

Last year, end of May, we ran into sea lice in Grand Cayman. Local divers told us the theory is it's an increasing problem due to the warming of the earth's oceans...

Well, we survived, and will look for preventative products this year!