Kuwait's waters hold more marine life than many people expect, including a few species that hurt when you touch them. Sea urchins, stonefish and scorpionfish, and stingrays cause most of the painful incidents along our coast. Most cases are simple when handled correctly, but some need a hospital fast โ and the difference is almost always what you do in the first few minutes.
Urchins sit on rocky areas and in shallow water near reefs. Step on one and the spines go into your foot or hand, and sometimes they break off under the skin and cause irritation. Do not dig at them with your bare fingers; use clean tweezers instead. If there are many spines or they are deep, see a doctor, as a few may need minor removal.
Before that, soak the area in comfortably hot water (warm enough for the skin to tolerate, not boiling) for twenty to thirty minutes to ease the pain and swelling. Clean and cover the wound, and watch for signs of infection over the next few days. See a doctor if there is growing redness, swelling, or a fever, or if a spine is near a joint or the eye.
These fish sit still on the bottom or among rocks and reef sand, and their camouflage makes them almost invisible. Their venomous spines cause severe pain. The strongest prevention is thick-soled shoes on reef flats and shallow water, and keeping your hands out of rock gaps.
If you are stung, the standard first aid is to soak the area in hot water that the skin can tolerate for roughly half an hour to an hour, keep the person calm, and immobilise the limb. Then go to a hospital quickly, because the venom can cause complications that need medical care and monitoring.
Stingrays lie hidden in shallow sand, often in the lanes people walk and swim through. The dangerous part is the barb on the tail. The simplest habit is to shuffle your feet as you walk, dragging them along the sand โ the ray feels you coming and moves off before you step on it.
If you are hit, get out of the water, rinse the wound, and do not pull out the barb if it is deep. A stingray wound is extremely painful and needs prompt medical attention, so head to the nearest clinic or hospital rather than waiting.
Put protective shoes on the kids, and keep that kit within reach every trip. The B7R app's fish guide can help you recognise these species before you get in the water.
The red line is clear: any severe sting, difficulty breathing, swelling of the face or throat, strong dizziness, or chest pain after a sting is an emergency. Call for help immediately and do not wait โ the B7R app's SOS button connects you to the authorities in one tap.
The B7R app is free on Google Play, with a fish guide, sea state, tide times at Shuwaikh and Shu'aybah ports, and an SOS button. Download it here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.q8dm.b7r and stay careful, not scared.