Unassuming photo captures little-known Aussie danger: 'People don't know'
Most swimmers wouldn't expect to find a cluster of this venomous sea snail species so far south.
Travellers love to joke that everything in Australia can harm you. Now a diver is warning visitors enjoying a popular beach to think twice before touching the sea shells at the northern NSW location.
Snorkeller Liz Hardaker has shared photos of a venomous sea snail hotspot at Minnie Water north of Coffs Harbour. They were taken at a rocky outcrop that's cut off from the beach by water.
While the patterns on the cone shells she's documented are mesmerising to look at, it’s important to remember they contain a nasty secret inside.
“Kids swim over to the rock platform, so they walk all over it with no shoes on. Not everything in there will kill you, but they’ll give you some pretty bad stings,” she told Yahoo News.
“A lot of people don’t know about the danger. And kids will pick up shells that are still alive — I once spoke to a girl who had a whole pocketful of money cowries and I made her put them back.”
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How dangerous are the venomous cones?
Living cones play an important ecological role in rock pools and after death their empty shells are cherished by collectors.
Worldwide, upwards of 30 human deaths have been linked to cone species. But a 2018 paper published in the journal MDPI that reviewed 141 reported injuries between 1670 and 2017 found 57 per cent of fatalities were likely caused by Conus geographus not Conus textile which Hardaker regularly encounters.
It found no human deaths could be linked to Conus textile despite it being vilified in media and television. "A 1972 episode of the television series Hawaii Five-0 featured an apparent murder plan involving Conus textile," the report noted.
But that doesn’t mean caution should be thrown to the wind. All of the diverse species of cones are venomous — they kill their prey by shooting a cocktail of neurotoxins from a harpoon-like tooth.
Snorkeller recalls most recent cone sighting
The rock platform where Conus textile are believed to breed is only accessible during low tide. Hardaker was snorkelling on Sunday when she most recently spotted one.
“I took my mask off and turned it over with the tip of my snorkel. When I saw it did have a creature in it I made sure it was pointing away from me — a bit like a shotgun,” she said.
“Like when I find a blue-ringed octopus I’m more fascinated than scared. Same when a shark comes in, I’m more interested in getting in front of it to photograph its teeth.”
Are the cones moving southward?
While it pays to be cautious, particularly if you’re supervising children, Professor Stephen Smith, a marine snail expert at Southern Cross University, believes the risk of an adult being harmed by a Conus textile is low.
He regularly hears of divers further north on the Gold Coast frequently encountering them, sometimes spotting a dozen during a single dive.
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Minnie Water is within the Solitary Islands Marine Park which is believed to be the southernmost limit of Conus textile. However, as climate change continues to warm waters down Australia’s east coast it is possible the species could extend its range.
“There is evidence over the last 20 years of a shift southwards of Conus textile… but there haven’t been wholesale population movements that are going to cause major issues,” Smith said.
Masses of other venomous marine creatures like blue dragons have been linked to changing weather patterns. And venomous Irukandji jellyfish are believed to be moving southwards, with some experts speculating they could becoming established as far south as K’gari in southern Queensland.
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