A fishy story

Well now, what would a blog be without a fishy story? Especially a story with several possible morals...
Last week, armed with fishing rods and bait, my two sons and I spent a lovely afternoon at the Barbados Hilton beach. It's a beautiful spot, complete with a long stretch of rocks that is very inviting for young fishermen. I should explain that although I bought rods for my kids, I don't fish myself, preferring instead to enjoy the atmosphere and keep an eye on my young men as they explore nature and learn about patience.
As I was floating in the sea doing my best impersonation of a pale aging jellyfish, my reverie was interrupted by an eruption of excitement from the fishing camp. My eldest son liam had caught a fish and not just any fish, oh no! Liam had caught one of these...

(photos courtesy of Janice Cumberbatch - Campbell)

Fortunately, Liam, having spent a good portion of his life watching nature programs on the TV, recognized that he had caught a stonefish!

According to Wikipedia, the highly dangerous stonefish is one of the most venomous fishes in the world and can be fatal to humans! Doesn't every parent want to see one of these dangling from their child's fishing rod? The venom is secreted from glands at the base of their needle-like dorsal fin spines which stick up when disturbed or threatened.
Needless to say this was not a happy fish. The stonefish, derives it's name from the  ability to camouflage itself with a grey and mottled color similar to the color of a stone. Swimmers may not notice them, and may inadvertently step on them, triggering a sting.

Treatments for a Stonefish sting include the application of hot water to the affected area (over 45 degrees Celsius), anti-venom and morphine for the pain. 

Here's a happy tourist's account of an encounter with one of these spiny faux rocks.

The good news was that Liam had the great sense not to touch it and we delicately tossed it back to it's watery home.

The moral of this story could be - let your kids watch lots of TV! especially nature programs.

The following week we went back to the same beach and all Liam caught was a baseball cap (XL, full of seaweed). I couldn't decide if I was relieved or disappointed.