NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Beaches still risky, health officials warn

By Eloise Gibson
NZ Herald·
26 Sep, 2009 03:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Extra vigilance was needed with young children on Devonport's Cheltenham and Narrow Neck Beaches where more than 150 sea slugs were found. Photo / Richard Robinson
Extra vigilance was needed with young children on Devonport's Cheltenham and Narrow Neck Beaches where more than 150 sea slugs were found. Photo / Richard Robinson

Extra vigilance was needed with young children on Devonport's Cheltenham and Narrow Neck Beaches where more than 150 sea slugs were found. Photo / Richard Robinson

School holidays and the onset of daylight saving are set to tempt Aucklanders back to the beach, however public health officers are warning parents to closely watch children - and look out for toxic sea slugs.

Medical Officer of Health Dr Simon Baker said it was not known yet if the threat of toxic slugs that killed five dogs was gone from Hauraki Gulf beaches and, until it was, people should be aware of the potential dangers.

"This incident will hopefully pass, but for the time being people just need to be a little bit more cautious on any Hauraki Gulf beach than they usually would be.

"People should keep a bit of a closer eye on where their kids are, particularly the under-eights and ... toddlers, who really don't know what is good to touch and what is bad to touch," he said.

Extra care should be taken at Cheltenham and Narrow Neck Beaches in Devonport - where more than 150 sea slugs were found by authorities investigating the dog deaths.

Some of the slugs were tested and were found to contain the same potent neurotoxin, TTX, found in vomit from one of the dead dogs.

Dr Baker said there were no reports of people being poisoned.

However a council worker who collected slugs from the beach, then accidentally touched his mouth, reported tingling around the mouth.

Early symptoms of poisoning from TTX include numbness and tingling around the mouth, and nausea.

Numbness and tingling can spread to the face, tongue and other areas, along with paralysis and slurred speech.

"Look out for anything like a sea slug, which is about 10cm long ... and if you touch a sea slug look out for any symptoms ... like tingling or numbness in the tongue or around the lips," said Dr Baker.

Anyone who experienced symptoms after touching a slug should immediately see a doctor, he said.

Dr Baker added that swimming in the sea was low risk.

"But at times they [slugs] are going to be suspended a little bit in the water and people are going to put their foot down on to something slimy."

Auckland Regional Public Health Service said no sea slugs had been found for 10 days and it had been two weeks since the last dog was poisoned.

"These slugs are actually quite rare most of the time," said Dr Baker.

"It may be that we don't see sea slugs again for some time until another event like this.

"It's completely unpredictable when it's going to happen."

During August and September, at least 15 dogs suffered symptoms consistent with TTX poisoning after eating slugs at Auckland beaches.

Auckland Regional Public Health said it was unknown whether the sea slugs could clear TTX from their systems, or whether this was a one-off or a commonly occurring event.

The Department of Conservation revealed this week that the deaths of several dolphins during the same weeks as the dog deaths might never be explained.

The dolphins tested negative for TTX and other suspected toxins including domoic acid found in algae.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

Live
Politics

Watch: Govt announces $231m new Auckland-based NZ Institute for Advanced Technology

New Zealand

Worry and speculation as manager of Molesworth Station resigns

Opinion
|Updated

NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Recommended for you

Fat Freddy's Drop founder Chris Faiumu - Mu and DJ Fitchie - dies
Entertainment

Fat Freddy's Drop founder Chris Faiumu - Mu and DJ Fitchie - dies

NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today
New Zealand

NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today

Watch: Govt announces $231m new Auckland-based NZ Institute for Advanced Technology
Politics

Watch: Govt announces $231m new Auckland-based NZ Institute for Advanced Technology

'Like a small nation': French coach questions refereeing decisions
All Blacks

'Like a small nation': French coach questions refereeing decisions

256-year-old anchor found after 43 years, confirming historic discovery
Northern Advocate

256-year-old anchor found after 43 years, confirming historic discovery

British spies and special forces exposed in Afghan data leak
World

British spies and special forces exposed in Afghan data leak



Latest from New Zealand

Watch: Govt announces $231m new Auckland-based NZ Institute for Advanced Technology
Live
Politics

Watch: Govt announces $231m new Auckland-based NZ Institute for Advanced Technology

Luxon is speaking alongside Dr Shane Reti this morning.

17 Jul 09:26 PM
Worry and speculation as manager of Molesworth Station resigns
New Zealand

Worry and speculation as manager of Molesworth Station resigns

17 Jul 09:20 PM
NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today
Opinion
|Updated

NZ Herald comments: The stories open for discussion today

17 Jul 09:13 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search