A sting can cause severe pain, swelling, nausea, muscle cramps, infection, and in rare cases can be fatal. I realized how close Charlie and I had been to something that could have caused a serious injury.
The experience taught me never to touch an unfamiliar sea creature, even if it looks dead. The safest choice is to keep children and pets away, observe from a distance, and contact local beach authorities if needed.
I still walk the beach with Charlie, but now I pay much closer attention to what is near the shoreline. What first looked like something mysterious taught me a lasting lesson about respecting the hidden dangers of the ocean.
