Stonefish at Flic and Flac

Highly poisonous and painful. Thank you for letting us know, Andrew.

You were very lucky fortunately.

@Bhavna Because there were a lot of people around, and kids playing there too, I told the police and coast guard. But they didn't seem very concerned. The police said the fish is frightened of people and will move away if anyone goes too close. And the coast guard said this is the fish's natural habitat and there's not much we can do about it, but then they did try to scare it out to sea (not sure if that was successful or not). When I looked up stonefish online it says they are one of the most venomous fish in the world and can cause death to people. So I'm not sure what to think really. Anyone know anything about this?

It is highly venomous indeed but we rarely hear of any incidents. The most recent one was last year when a tourist got stung.

https://english.lematinal.media/british … king-cure/

People who unfortunately get stung by the fish are quickly taken care of but the pain still remains months later...

I would definitely recommend wearing water shoes when you go for a swim ! I don't how much protection they offer though.

I don't remember whether they have a specimen in aquarium at Odysseo (I would believe yes). If ever you go for a visit, maybe you can ask an officer/guide for more precise infos. They do have some specimens of Lionfish as well which is also venemous.

Hi I would also like to share the experience of poisoned by fish recently. We went for a group dinner and ordered a steam fish. The fish, according to the restaurant, is calld Verre Rouge and its a very common fish here. Bit it was very big when it came to the table. We all ate, the others were fine but I got Ciguatera Poisoning by the fish. You can Google the poisoning by its name, main symton for me was dizziness and sensational disorder,i.e touch water feels like electricity shot. It took me 2 weeks for the poisoning released from me. I reported the care to Ministry of Health. Just to remind if you order any type of reef fish bigger than 1.5Kg it will be possibly contains the poison and it will not harm the fish but harm human who eat the fish.

@andrew9799

WOW, good to know.

And thanks for sharing this here.

The same happened to me I was with my 2 kids at le Morne beach, barely 5 meters from the shore. We nearly got stung, fortunately I noticed it because we were wearing masks and having a peep underwater every now and then...

That made the risk become real and tangible to me, not easy knowing your kid might get stung playing right there....

@andrew9799 they’re right it’s their natural habitat … when we moved out to the Naval Base many years ago that was one of our first warnings … always wear swim shoes just in case and that was 1974 … all these years on I still heed that warning. It’s only if stepped on it’s a problem but swim shoes can protect. It’s never stopped us all swimming and that’s our favourite beach. Don’t let it frighten you away!

Indeed wear swim shoes. I have read that the pain from Stonefish is so severe it is not worth the risk.

Thanks for all the feedback everyone. One thing that the police said, which I have now thought about further, is that the fish will swim away if anyone gets near to it. And to reverse the situation, if someone was to actually try to step on a fish I'm sure it would be very difficult. Also, there doesn't seem to be many incidents of people getting hurt by stonefish here. So I guess it's possible that the stonefish are there but we don't usually see them and they avoid us?!?

That’s right Andrew, it is rare. When we lived there back in 1974, all the lads from the base used to go snorkelling for shells at dawn on a Saturday and at that time Flic nFlac was one of the beaches but there were many many …. and I’ll always remember one who fell over somehow walking out and fell face down on masses of what we called sea eggs  (long hard spiked things) and he spent the rest of the day at the base hospital having the spiked ends removed … an unpleasant experience I heard) and his front looked as though he’d been stabbed all over with a purple pen!  It never stopped anyone going there but now they’re no longer there so I’m guessing that as tourism was encouraged and increased, they were “surplus to requirements”.  The beach in my head has always been synonymous with sea eggs, even now, but we love it there! 

That’s right Andrew, it is rare. When we lived there back in 1974, all the lads from the base used to go snorkelling for shells at dawn on a Saturday and at that time Flic nFlac was one of the beaches but there were many many …. and I’ll always remember one who fell over somehow walking out and fell face down on masses of what we called sea eggs (long hard spiked things) and he spent the rest of the day at the base hospital having the spiked ends removed … an unpleasant experience I heard) and his front looked as though he’d been stabbed all over with a purple pen! It never stopped anyone going there but now they’re no longer there so I’m guessing that as tourism was encouraged and increased, they were “surplus to requirements”. The beach in my head has always been synonymous with sea eggs, even now, but we love it there!
-@Grandmarocks

it is  called sea urchins

@External thank you … it’s funny how a name sticks with you even when you know it’s incorrect!

Stonefish are inhabitants of the ocean and don’t really care about intruders like us. I have seen many while diving and taken beautiful pictures of them. I know of several people who accidentally stepped on them and those stories are nasty. BUT they swim away when you scare them as we are the enemy, not them!

Just stepping or leaning on them is bad….

Rubber water shoes don’t really help to protect from stone fish nor sea urgins. The spike goes through… 10 years ago a scuba company sold flip flops with a steel mash inside the bottom. Those were safe!!

The bottom rule is to remember that WE are guests in the ocean. Keep your eyes open, don’t go near rocks!! and only go into clear water. Best is to swim or snorkel and keep your feet of the ground.

For my kids, I told them exactly the same and they understood and followed these rules. Don’t go into the ocean near rocks!! That again is the natural habitat of stone fish were they mate or the young ones stay.

Hi all. I've tried to post a comment on the excellent thread "Stonefish at Flic and Flac" but for some reason I can't.

Long story short, I'm a 67yo Brit with a 10-year retirement residency permit, relocating from Trou aux Cerfs to Flic en Flac next Monday (3 Feb) and I'm very much looking forward to snorkelling and later (hopefully!) scuba diving. I recently learned about stonefish, the most posionous fish in the world and common in Mauritius, including in Flic en Flac. A few points:

- regular "water shoes", flip-flops etc. will clearly not offer adequate protection against a lengthy spine injecting toxin into the foot. Someone in the "Stonefish at Flic and Flac" thread mentioned a company offering shoes with a metal layer 10 years ago, are these still available, and if so, from where?
- I understand that stonefish can live out of water up to 24 hours, so can be left stranded on the beach at low tide. Does anyone have experience of this? I imagine they'll just look like a rock so can thereby be avoided as they can be in the sea? It's recommended to "shuffle along" on the seabed, not step as you would when walking.
- the spines are used defensively, never offensively. But the fish have no natural predators and therefore have no flight response. Many videos on YouTube show them being picked up with bare hands, very safely (if the spines are avoided).
- they seem to have little if any capacity to swim, so amble along the seabed, and tend to rest near rocks for camouflage and easier access to prey (small fish).

Finally, can anoyone recommend a store in Flic en Flac for snorkel gear, diving fins etc.?

Thanks!

@gordon081257

Hi

We often see stone fish on scuba dives, but usually below 5 meters.  I have never seen stone fish on land.  I know they can survive out of water, but need to stay moist.

Depending on how seriously you are going to take your snorkeling and scuba diving you can get very basic equipment anywhere.  Try Decathlon for something midrange and budget friendly. 

Buying fins is not like buying shoes.  Obviously they need to fit well, but looking good is not really a factor.  You need to consider whether fins are positively, negatively or neutrally buoyant and this can depend on a few factors including your own physiology.  Also, how you will be finning (kicking) comes into play.  Thrust and performance is important so choose carefully.  There are open and closed heel versions each with their own advantages and disadvantages and so many different blade styles.  Also, the material used to make the fins, personally I prefer a composite made fins as it provides a good balance of durability and flexibility.

I am a 63 year old PADI scuba instructor specializing in assisting seasoned adults, those who may be nervous, self-conscious, or even those a bit anxious to learn to scuba dive.  I offer calm one on one training at your own pace without any pressure to ensure you master skills to become a safe and confident diver so you can enjoy discovering a world of beauty and serenity. I'm based I  the North of the Island.

I wish you happy bubbles on your new adventure

@gordon081257

Hello and welcome !

I found the thread and moved your post, in hope that the participants will receive a notification and hopefully share their experience since last time they posted.

Thank you @ RusselS for such an informative post. I am sure members will benefit from your inputs.

All the best

Bhavna

@RusselS

Thanks for replying! For some reason I didn't get notification of your reply.

I bought some "aqua shoes" from Decathlon (Bagatelle) but they really won't be sufficient in relation to stonefish. I read somewhere about such shoes with a metal strip at the bottom, to protect against stonefish. I haven't been able to find them on Mauritius, though. Do you know of a supplier or store? Thanks.

I'm based in Flic en Flac but the fear of stonefish keeps me from going in the sea.

@Bhavna

Thanks Bhavna. Just seen Russell's helpful reply, but I don;t think I was notified at the time.