Why Would Anyone Swim Here?

These signs are about every 50 feet along the Palm Cove beachfront. Let's start with the "marine stingers". About 8 different kinds (see chart below), 2 of which are fatal. This is why we wore the stinger suits - protection against the stings - which are less prevalent a couple hours out on the Reef but still exist. Nobody, including the crew, ever gets in the water without a stinger suit. In fact, one person was admonished not to hang his feet in the water while removing his stinger suit. The worst type you "may not feel" the sting. Another you just stop breathing. This is a summer phenomenon so nobody goes in the water in summer except in a small area protected by a net and even that's pretty dicey.

Stingers not enough? Well there are also the crocodiles which can be in the ocean and have also been known to swim over the nets and into the protected swimming area.

What they say is true. Everything in Australia wants to kill you!