What To Do When You Get Stung by Sea Urchins?

Before I forget, I want to share with the rest of you what happened on Tioman Island despite obtaining both of our certs, me falling ill and got stranded on our way back.




Now as you may have read on my first introduction to diving in Tioman island that the island reef was filled with poisonous sea urchins, especially on shallow sea water.




Yea, these little stingers might look cute, and even a delicacies to the Japanese (they call it Uni),




But oh, when you stepped on them, their poisonous stingers will pierce through you skin like swords, break apart from their body and leave the stingers in your skin.




This is Gerald's leg.


Now if you keep track of youtube channels and is a fan of Discovery Channel, you will come across the series Man vs Wild (only the most amazing crazy wild show in the world), where the handsome almighty Bear Grylls shows you how to survive through the most dangerous locations on earth.




He's been stranded in Alaska, Scottish highlands (snow mountains), remote jungles and the hot Sahara desert with nothing but a knife (Gerber Gator) and sometimes a water bottle, and survived!

He's eaten carcass maggots, slept in deer carcass skin, drank Elephant dung juice, eaten live frogs, snakes and lizards, and done anything that's humanly impossible and is probably the MANliest man on earth at the moment.


He's my man (so hot I melted)


In this episode where he was stranded in a remote island in Indonesia, Bear talks about sea urchins and their stings, and how to treat it.

(Watch, you'll know)




Right. Bear might know ONE way of treating sea urchin wounds.

But as I've heard from the locals, there are actually TWO ways to treat these wounds.

FIRST, is the African way. Basically, you just leave it as it is, and it will heal and melts off in your body.

SECOND, is the Asian way (our way, oh yea).

And I am going to show you the Asian way of Treating Sea Urchin Wound.

1. You'll need a victim.




The wound, when first stung, would be something like this.




Many little thorns sticking out from your skin

2. Get a plank/piece of wood.


3. Beat it, HARD.

Like Bear said, you take a piece of wo0d and beat it till all the stingers break off.




4. Rub lime/lemon onto wound

This is to kill bacteria, or disinfect your wound.




5. Beat again. Till blood stains appear.

According to the local uncle, he said this is very important so as to prevent swelling the next day.

How true, god knows. But it's fun to watch!!! LOL

In fact, I've recorded the beating process. This, you must watch!! :D




Bahaha.. I can't stop laughing every time I watch this video *tears*. I'm so mean.

This is the photo of Gerald's leg after the 10 minute beatings.


see the blood stains?


Amazingly, superstitious or true remedy, god knows, the next day the wound didn't look that bad after all.




Despite reddish skin (obtained from beating ;p), there was no swelling nor rashes.

It actually worked!!


I must say, this is the oddest treatment to a wound I have ever seen.

But hey, whatever works right?