Hot water for sting ray stings, eh? That's a new one. But does the hot water actually counter or inactivate the ray's toxin, or is it more for symptom relief? Like the various home remedies for jellyfish stings?

Too bad hot water doesn't work for all poisonous marine animals. As I mentioned in another post, if HVDC could treat the sting from something like the tiny but deadly Irukandji jellyfish, that would be a great achievement. On the TV show I saw about the Irukandji, a couple researchers went into the ocean to collect some specimens. They wore wetsuits and covered up all the exposed skin that they could, but both of them still got stung. One of them was stung by tiny broken tentacles (practically invisible) clinging to her wet suit while she was removing her gear. They were both in excruciating, whole body pain--one for days, the other for weeks. Even the maximum dose of morphine barely took the edge off. Wow, sucks to be them.

Ounce per ounce, sounds like Irukandji can inflict more pain on a person than any other creature out there. Well, and also kill you.