Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
Or call 0345 90 80 161
08 August 2017 07:32
The teenager had been on the beach at Melbourne
Marine experts have disagreed over the identity of the creatures that attacked the feet of a teenager who was relaxing in the sea in Australia.
Sam Kanizay's feet and ankles bled from what looked like hundreds of little pin holes. The 16-year-old had only been in the water in Melbourne for around half an hour.
Visiting hospital with his parents, Sam's feet left doctors and nurses baffled.
Dad investigates
So Sam's father, Jarrod, took matters into his own hands, returning to the beach to investigate. He cast a net full of meat into the water to try to attract whatever may have attacked his son.
He pulled the net from the water to find dozens of tiny, bug-like creatures feasting on the meat. Don't go in the water without watersports travel insurance.
Experts disagree
After viewing the video shot by Jarrod, there is confusion among experts as to the identity of the bugs.
One expert believes they are a type of crustacean called amphipods, but another has questioned that.
Jeff Weir, executive director of the Dolphin Research Institute, thinks it may be down to amphipods, which usually eat decomposing plant and animal scraps.
However, Thomas Cribb, a parasite expert from the University of Queensland, said it would be very unusual for amphipods to cause such extensive bleeding.
"It's not a parasite I've ever come across," he said.
19 March 2019
Looking for adventure? Create your perfect Scandinavian weekend with these alternative city break ideas.
[more...]
Lower your blood pressure with these fresh, healthy foods you can add to your diet.
02 March 2019
A Flybe flight was forced to abort take-off due to the cabin filling with "smoke" while it was accelerating along the runway at Exeter Airport.
01 March 2019
Holidaymakers will soon be able to take advantage of the first direct flight from London to Scotland's Western Isles after Loganair announced three new routes.
28 February 2019
Over one in five women in the UK wrongly think a smear test can detect ovarian cancer, new research has revealed.
27 February 2019
One in 10 UK adults over the age of 40 is living with Type 2 diabetes, new analysis suggests - but the real figure could be much higher.
26 February 2019
British Airways has revealed the second of its series of retro liveries being recreated as part of the airline's 100th birthday celebrations.
23 February 2019
The price of a prescription in England is set to rise again, the Government has announced, in a move some campaigners have called disappointing.
22 February 2019
Just half an hour of exercise every morning could be as effective as drugs at lowering daily blood pressure, research suggests.
21 February 2019
A British man accidentally used the wrong passport to fly from Prague to the UK, leaving his friend stranded in the Czech capital.
19 February 2019
Hundreds of passengers have had their travel plans cancelled following the collapse of airline flybmi.
16 February 2019
Holidaymakers were left fuming after a "lack of clarity" over Brexit led a Romanian airline to cancel flights from Liverpool's John Lennon Airport.