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Puerto Rico

The current weather in Culebra

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Jellyfish, Sharks, Dangerous things in the water
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Jo Abracadabra (---.resnet.rochester.edu)
Date:   11-03-07 22:27

I am absolutely paranoid about being stung by jellyfish, bitten by sharks, etc. Usually I don't go in the water at beaches due to my fear, but I would feel bad going to Puerto Rico and not going in the water. I plan to go to Flamenco Beach most specifically, but does anyone know if there are jellyfish or sharks?

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Re: Jellyfish, Sharks, Dangerous things in the water
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: richard (---.hsd1.dc.comcast.net)
Date:   11-04-07 02:47

fellow paranoiac here:

have no fears.

just watch for sea urchins underfoot (and they're not on Flamenco, only the rockier ones).

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Re: Jellyfish, Sharks, Dangerous things in the water
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Cecilia Hennessy (---.dsl.sbndin.sbcglobal.net)
Date:   11-07-07 10:46

wearing aqua socks and/or fins might help with the sea urchin, but it's not nice to step on them even if you were wearing boots (because it's not nice for them!). Flamenco and Zoni are the two most gorgeous beaches you'll ever see, and I didn't see any sea urchins (or anything else large enough to scare) there. Urchins at Melones are really serious! Great snorkeling there!

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Re: Jellyfish, Sharks, Dangerous things in the water
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: richard (---.hsd1.dc.comcast.net)
Date:   11-07-07 11:04

I second the water socks. I wear 'em like regular shoes, beach or not.

if you really want to be equipped, bring some MSG for stings (although there have been other less appealing home remedies posted here)

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Re: Jellyfish, Sharks, Dangerous things in the water
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Debbie (---.sip.asm.bellsouth.net)
Date:   11-07-07 19:59

Hey - the less appealing remedies work! Don't knock 'em! LOL!

Happy Diving!
Debbie

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Re: Jellyfish, Sharks, Dangerous things in the water
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Herb (---.dsl.stlsmo.swbell.net)
Date:   11-07-07 21:10

Go ahead.....give up the less appealing remedies.....we need to know them.

Herb

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Re: Jellyfish, Sharks, Dangerous things in the water
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Debbie (---.sip.asm.bellsouth.net)
Date:   11-07-07 21:37

For jellyfish stings and urchin spikes:

1) urinating on one's self (or one's friend) immediately. Hopefully, one is intimate with the one that needs to be "treated."

2) applying meat tenderizer.

Given the fact that most of us don't carry meat tenderizer on us and the immediate need to treat, unfortunately 1) is your best bet. Hey, you asked!

To the original poster - there are not usually dangerous sharks close to shore. In fact, in my 7+ years of diving there, I've never seen a "real" shark. Nurse sharks are a possibility, but they are docile creatures. Wearing Teva-type sandals decreases your chances of being injured by stepping on a spiny urchin. Putting your mask on in a sandy area, and immediately swimming (even in 2 feet of water) to the reef area decreases your risk of stepping on a spiny urchin. As others here have said - the sandy beaches on the north side are generally devoid of urchins in the shallow sandy areas, but they are abundant on the rocky beaches on the south side.

Happy Diving!
Debbie

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Re: Jellyfish, Sharks, Dangerous things in the water
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Herb (---.dsl.stlsmo.swbell.net)
Date:   11-07-07 22:05

Are you kidding me?! I thought that was just an episode of "Friends" LOL

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Re: Jellyfish, Sharks, Dangerous things in the water
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: richard (---.hsd1.dc.comcast.net)
Date:   11-08-07 00:01

yep, Debbie nailed it (so to speak) as a much more self-suffiicient remedy....

Jo - don't worry there's really nothing to fear.

rosario does have a lot of urchins (at the entrance) and I still want to know if there's a restriction on harvesting them for roasting.

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Re: Jellyfish, Sharks, Dangerous things in the water
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Doug (---.aurorasys.com)
Date:   11-08-07 14:41

And this explains the critical importance of an abundant supply of Presidentes, close at hand, whenever one is snorkling from the beach.

I'm also thinking that stepping on urchins might be an interesting way to meet new people. :-p

Doug

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Re: Jellyfish, Sharks, Dangerous things in the water
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Debbie (---.sip.asm.bellsouth.net)
Date:   11-08-07 22:04

Because Presidente is like piss? LOL!

Happy Diving!
Debbie

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Re: Jellyfish, Sharks, Dangerous things in the water
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Doug (---.dsl.stlsmo.swbell.net)
Date:   11-10-07 17:03

Filtered through the kidneys, Presidente meets the highest medical standards for therapeutic whizzery, unlike Coors Light.

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Re: Jellyfish, Sharks, Dangerous things in the water
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Michael (---.cust.tele2.at)
Date:   11-11-07 01:10

I never understood the whole 'light' fraction in beer drinkers. Why would I want to drink something that says 'light'?

Enjoy Culebra!

Michael

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Re: Jellyfish, Sharks, Dangerous things in the water
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Doug (---.dsl.stlsmo.swbell.net)
Date:   11-11-07 10:21

"Less filling"
"Tastes grated"

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Re: Jellyfish, Sharks, Dangerous things in the water
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Author: Arroz (---.direcpc.com)
Date:   11-12-07 18:02

Well, I never understood why anyone wanted to drink any beer brewed in the US of A (microbrewerys excepted). They all seem to be coloured (note Canadian spelling) soda water. I won't touch on whether they are any better than any US beer for purposes of relieving the pain from sea urchin spines.

And, at the risk of really getting flamed, if you want to talk rum, you should try Ron Zacapa Centenario from Guatemala. Makes Bacardi look pretty poor.

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