If you are walking Karon Beach this week and spot strange, clear, jelly-like creatures in the shallows, or starfish scattered across the sand, here is the simple rule officials are asking everyone to follow: look, take your photo, and do not pick them up. It is a small warning, but it is exactly the kind that saves a beach day from ending with an itchy, miserable rash.
Marine officials have now identified the two species that have been washing ashore at Karon. The starfish are sun stars, a large species measuring roughly 20 to 30 centimetres across, found spread along the beach at about one animal for every two square metres. The clear, free-floating creatures in the water are salps, present in much larger numbers. Teams from the Upper Andaman marine research and conservation centres inspected the beach on November 11 after Karon Municipality reported a fresh influx, following earlier reports of sea stars, many of them dead, coming ashore since November 5.
The good news is that neither species is considered seriously venomous. The caution is about the salps: touching them directly can irritate the skin or trigger an allergic reaction in some people, so hands off is the sensible policy, especially for children. Early seawater tests came back within normal limits, and officials noted strong winds and waves during their survey — but they have not yet established why these animals keep washing in.
Authorities are asking residents, visitors and beach operators to stay alert and keep monitoring the shoreline while the cause is investigated. Our take for swimmers: enjoy Karon as normal, keep an eye on what is in the water around your feet, and leave anything strange-looking exactly where the sea put it.
Full story: The Phuket News — Officials warn against touching salps washed ashore at Karon Beach
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