Sea Lice in Cancun

Coming to Cancun between March and August?

Then you need to know about sea lice and how to avoid them. Known locally as Agua mala (bad water) or pica pica (itchy, itchy) and throughout the world as Seabathers Eruption. Sea lice can be responsible for a painful itchy rash when swimming in the warm Caribbean Sea off the beaches of Cancun, at certain times of the year.

This web site aims to provide all the information necessary to make sure your trip to Cancun goes without an itch.

We have information on the season when sea lice in Mexico are likely to be at their most abundant, plus advice on how to prevent a sea lice eruption in the first place.

Read our explanation of Safe Sea Lotion, the sea lice repellent. Safe Sea is widely regarded as the best preventative sea lice measure around. Safe Sea lotion is not generally available in Cancun, so it is worth taking a bottle or two if you intend to visit Cancun during sea lice season.

If you are unfortunate enough to have a painful meeting with sea lice then this site also explains the best sea lice treatment methods with a few tidbits of advice on how to buy any necessary creams and medication locally in Cancun.

What are Sea Lice?

Sea lice are not lice at all, they are microscopic larvae of the thimble jellyfish (Linuche unguiculata). About the size of speck of pepper, they float freely through the warm seas. Areas of bare skin normally escape unscathed, but when they filter through your bathing suit the fabric acts as a net and their venom can be triggered leaving large red welts and blisters - and often in the most sensitive of areas!

What are the symptoms of Sea Lice?

Skin irritation normally becomes noticeable between 4 and 24 hours after swimming and being exposed to sea lice, some people have reported a prickling feeling while in the water.

A sea lice rash is not pretty. Large red spots, or welts begin to form and can blister. Intense itching accompanies the rash. The number of spots can be in the hundreds, with irritation normally residing within a week.

Mainly due to the itchiness you may have trouble sleeping. Other, more rare, symptoms can include, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle spasms, fever, and a general sense of malaise.

Prevention is better than cure, so click here to read about how best you can avoid these sea critters.