The Box Jellyfish: A Deadly Little Assassin

Jaws. We've all heard of him. Anyone who loves the beach and a good swim in the ocean has, at one time or another, experienced just a moment of hesitation, if not trepidation, before venturing into that beautiful and awesome environment. Come on, admit it. You're standing there on the beach and taking in that unmistakable aroma of salt water that saturates the air, feeling all that squishy sand beneath your feet and between your toes and you think - what if there's a shark or something else out there. You know deep down inside that there most certainly is a shark or something else out there, but what are the odds that you'll come face to face with one? And the fact is, the odds are tremendously against your coming in contact with a shark or anything else that might cause you harm. But, as we all know about odds, they don't do you a damn bit of good if you're the one in a million who is unlucky enough to experience the heart pounding fear that coming in close personal contact with a shark or something else could bring.

Oh sure, we've seen the programs that say, "Hey, don't panic. Just stay calm and relax. You'll be just fine." Now, just imagine the feeling of incredulity that Steve Irwin must have felt when that stingray got him. I'm sure he never imagined in his wildest dreams that he would leave this life in that fashion. You see, the problem is that these animals haven't read the papers or seen the programs that say they're not going to hurt you if you do such and such. Hey, they're just being what they are. Can't fault them for that either. We're in their world.

However, while we're all worked up about the large things, the tremendous things, sometimes it's the littlest things that can pose even more danger. Take, for instance, the box jellyfish. No more than the size of one's fingernail, this little assasin is incredibly deadly. I mean, most of the time, you wouldn't even see it it's so small and translucent. But don't even think about letting its diminutive size fool you.