A beachgoer has put Australians on high alert after she unknowingly picked up a poisonous sea creature and held it in her bare hands.
The woman was walking in Massacre Bay along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria when she saw “plastic litter” along the coast.
Unaware of the imminent danger, he picked up several botflies and placed them on his hand to take a photo for social media.
He posted the photo on Facebook and asked if anyone knew what the swollen blue objects found among the seaweed were.
The Australians quickly identified the poisonous sea creatures.
‘Don’t touch them!’ wrote one surprised user.
‘Gee…I wouldn’t pick up those bastards!’ said another.
A third advised: “Just a word of advice, if you don’t know what something is, don’t pick it up.”
The woman asked for help to identify what she believed was ‘plastic trash’ on the shore
The Australians were quick to advise the woman that she should never catch a bluefly (pictured)
A botfly bite can cause pain, whip-like lines, and sores on the areas of skin that come into contact with the tentacles.
Along the east coast of Australia, between 10,000 and 30,000 botfly bites are reported each year.
They are the most common cause of marine stings in Australia, with one in six reporting being stung.
Botfly bites can be very painful, although they are rarely life-threatening.
People allergic to its venom may experience severe reactions.
A common remedy for the bite includes urinating on a bluefly bite or applying vinegar.
This can actually make the pain worse.
To treat a botfly bite, people are urged to first rinse the affected area with seawater to remove any remaining tentacles.
Do not rub the bite area or use vinegar, as this can make the pain worse.
Then, soak the bite site in hot water (as hot as you can comfortably tolerate) for 20 to 30 minutes or until the pain goes away.
The bluefly’s long trailing tentacles are responsible for stinging and can extend up to three meters in length.
If hot water is not available, apply a cold compress or ice to reduce swelling.
If symptoms persist or worsen, seek medical attention.
The long tentacles of the blowfly can extend up to three meters in length.
The presence of botflies on beaches is strongly influenced by wind direction; Southerly and northeasterly winds tend to bring the creatures ashore.
A blowfly is often mistakenly referred to as a jellyfish, although they are related.
Also known as the Pacific man-of-war or Portuguese man-of-war, the blowfly is not a single animal, but a colony of four types of highly modified individuals, all dependent on each other to survive.