FACTS & STATS ON MARINE HAZARDS

* Box jellyfish have been known to kill people within three minutes, blue-ringed octopus in 30 minutes and pufferfish (eaten) in 17 minutes.

* At least 65 people have been killed by box jellyfish in the last century, over 30 of them on beaches between Mackay and Cairns.

* Aboriginal people long knew about box jellyfish, but it was not until after the death of a five-year-old boy at Cardwell, in 1955, that Chironex fleckeri' was identified by scientists. The irukandji (Carukia barnesi) was first scientifically identified in 1961 by Cairns doctor, John Barnes. He named it after the local Irukandji Aboriginal people.

* Toad/pufferfish are not only poisonous to eat but can, with their beak-like mouths, remove toes and fingers. Ancient laws worldwide forbade consumption of these species - fish without scales are classed as 'unclean' in the Old Testament.

* At the base of the tails of the aptly named surgeon fish are razor sharp blades which can inflict nasty cuts. No venom, however, is involved.

* You are more likely to die from a box jellyfish sting than a shark attack. Reef sharks are not normally aggressive to humans but should be treated with respect. Do not carry bleeding fish and avoid swimming after dark.