{"success":true,"attribution":"Cairns Tour Advice & Booking Centre — behavioural & biological information curated from public Queensland Government sources and local operator practice. Not medical advice.","disclaimer":"Tropical North Queensland is wild country. The information below is general behavioural and biological context — not a guarantee of safety. Wildlife is unpredictable, conditions change daily, and the most reliable safety system is a present, attentive traveller who reads signage, watches their surroundings, and follows the in-the-moment instructions of qualified tour guides, skippers, rangers and lifeguards on the day. If a guide tells you to do (or not do) something, there is always a reason — please follow it.","topic":{"slug":"marine-stingers","title":"Marine stingers (box jellyfish & Irukandji)","oneLiner":"Two small jellyfish species are present in tropical North Queensland waters mainly between November and May. Tour operators manage the risk routinely, every day.","whatItIs":"Two species are tracked: the box jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri), which is large and lives close to mainland beaches, and Irukandji (a group of small carybdeid jellyfish, typically thumbnail-sized) which range further offshore in summer. Both can deliver a sting that requires medical attention if untreated. Most stings are minor; serious envenomations are uncommon and very treatable when you're with a tour operator.","whereAndWhen":"Stinger season in Cairns is roughly November to May (peak December–March). Box jellyfish stay near mainland beaches and river mouths; they're rarely encountered at outer reef sites. Irukandji can occur from inshore to outer reef in calm, warm conditions but are sparse — most operators run hundreds of trips between sightings.","behaviour":"Both species are passive drifters. They don't pursue swimmers. They sting on contact when a tentacle brushes skin. Box jellyfish are largely inactive in cooler/cloudy water; Irukandji are most reported on calm, glassy days following northerly winds.","whatOperatorsDo":"Outer-reef day boats and pontoons routinely supply full-body lycra stinger suits during stinger season at no extra cost. Crew carry vinegar (the standard first-aid for both species) and oxygen, and most have crew trained in the Australian Resuscitation Council protocol. Council-managed swim enclosures (stinger nets) operate at Esplanade Lagoon, Palm Cove, Trinity Beach, Yorkeys Knob and others between approx. November and May.","whatYouCanDo":["Wear the supplied stinger suit on reef trips between November and May — it covers the parts of you that get stung.","Swim inside marked stinger enclosures at mainland beaches in season.","If you see vinegar bottles on a beach, you're at a known beach with infrastructure — use it generously on any sting before doing anything else.","If stung and the symptoms are mild (mild pain, raised welt), tell crew — they'll apply vinegar and monitor. If the sting is large, on the chest, or symptoms include severe pain, sweating, anxiety or difficulty breathing, that's the time to ask for ambulance assistance. Crew know."],"personalResponsibility":"Stingers are part of nature in this part of the world — even with every precaution in place, occasional stings happen. The traveller's job is to wear the suit when offered, swim only inside marked enclosures at mainland beaches, and listen to the skipper's pre-swim brief on every single trip — even if you've heard it before. Conditions, sightings and entry points can change between yesterday's trip and today's. If a crew member calls everyone out of the water, get out immediately and ask questions later.","contextualNote":"May–October trips are generally stinger-season-free; many operators stop supplying suits in winter for that reason."}}