Dangers in Crimea - what to fear and how to avoid trouble

Going on a vacation to the Crimea, especially if your trip is connected with hiking in the mountains and steppes of the peninsula and living in tents, it will not be superfluous to get acquainted with the dangers that may await you there:

Natural hazards

• Karakurt Spider

  

  Dangerous, very rare!

  The Karakurt is a subspecies of the Black Widow, one of the most dangerous spiders. For a person, Karakurt bites are deadly if you do not start treatment on time. No deaths have been registered in Crimea so far.

  Karakurt can be found in the steppe part of Crimea (Cape Tarkhankut, district Yevpatoria, Kerch). The spider has a size of 10-20 millimeters, has very long front legs, is completely black, sometimes with red dots.

  The probability of being bitten is very small, but what is bad, it is almost impossible to notice the moment of the bite itself, it is no more painful than a mosquito bite. You can understand that you were bitten by a Karakurt by the symptoms that appear after 20-30 minutes. In the bitten limb, and then in the whole body, severe pain begins, convulsions appear, and the temperature rises. You need to see a doctor immediately.

  First aid for Karakurt bite:

  • Within 1-2 minutes, cauterize the bite site with matches or a cigarette (the poison is neutralized under the influence of elevated temperature). After that, it is necessary to seek medical help at the nearest medical institution (SES, emergency room).

• Ticks

  

  Medium danger.

  As in the whole territory of Russia, ticks can be found in the Crimea. Fortunately, the European forest tick is most common here, which carries a virus of a weaker encephalitis, a Mediterranean type that does not cause serious damage to health. Another serious disease carried by him is borreliosis. Read more about ticks in Crimea here.

• Snakes

  

  Medium danger.

  Snakes for Crimea are not so rare, and they can be found even in parks and squares of large resorts of Crimea, and what can we say about the steppes and mountains, where tourists often go on excursions and hikes. Fortunately, there are no deadly species on the peninsula, and of the seven species, only two species are dangerous to humans: the Steppe Viper and the Yellow-Bellied Poloz. The steppe viper is poisonous, but not deadly. Cases of bite are transferred as a disease with fever, pain. If a child is bitten by a viper, it is better to consult a doctor. The Yellow-bellied poloz is not poisonous at all, but it can bite painfully if it is attacked. Read more about snakes in Crimea here.

• Jellyfish

  

  Mildly dangerous.

  There are plenty of jellyfish in the Crimean Black and Azov Seas, but they are absolutely not dangerous. From contact with only some of them, you can get a burn no heavier than a burn from contact with nettles. Read more about jellyfish in Crimea.

• Malaria

  

  Mildly dangerous, isolated cases of infection.

  Malaria in Crimea is a very rare "imported" disease, i.e. it comes from other countries, mainly from Southeast Asia and Africa. Cases of malaria infection are extremely rare, almost isolated, so you don't have to worry too much about this. However, if this really bothers you, then just use insect repellents to prevent mosquitoes from biting, which can be carriers of the disease.

• Scorpions

  

  Mildly dangerous.

  On the territory of the peninsula there is a special kind of insect - the Crimean Scorpion. To meet them is a real success, because there are almost none left. These insects are poisonous, but their bite is not fatal to humans. At the site of the bite there is swelling, pain; nausea and vomiting may appear, chills, fever rises. But after 3-4 hours all the symptoms go away by themselves.

  In case of a bite, it is recommended: suck the poison from the bite site, rinse it with ammonia or ethyl alcohol (you can use vodka, cognac, etc.), drink a lot of water.

• Poisonous fish

  Mildly dangerous.

  Several species of poisonous fish are found in the sea waters of the Black Sea. In most cases, they pose a danger only to fishermen, and even then very little, since only a professional can catch such fish, and they know everything about them. However, some species retain their venom even when they are already dead, and there is a very small chance of encountering stranded fish. Poisonous are the Scorpion or the Sea Ruff, the Sea Dragon, the Stingray or the Sea Cat.

  The venom of Black Sea fish is contained in their spines and fins (not in the meat), and poisoning occurs when injected. Therefore, it is enough not to grab dead fish with your bare hands or catch a catch for fins and spikes, and everything will be fine. Even if you get a shot, poisoning goes away by itself during the day, although you will have to endure severe pain, numbness of tissues, fever.

• Poisonous plants

  

  Dangerous, found everywhere!

  You may be surprised and disbelieve, but plants in Crimea are no less dangerous than all the insects and animals listed above. Here you can find many dangerous poisonous plants that can cause harm if you eat them, touch them or even smell them. Some plants are deadly! They are especially dangerous for children who like to pull everything into their mouths and touch beautiful flowers. Therefore, be sure to read our separate article "Poisonous plants of Crimea: photos, description, first aid".

Other hazards

• Food on the beach. We do not recommend buying it from peddlers on the beach, because the product may simply be spoiled.
• Wine for bottling. Although the sale of bottled wine, including allegedly homemade, is made everywhere in Crimea, in fact, it is prohibited by sanitary standards. Official sanitary authorities consider that the majority of draught wine sold in the Crimea is of poor quality and is made from wine production waste.
• Water. There are big problems with drinking water in Crimea. In some areas and even in popular tourist resorts, massive intestinal infections occur at the height of the season due to the use of local water in cooking. Be sure to take medicines for intestinal infections with you (during epidemics, prices for such medicines in local pharmacies increase significantly, there is a shortage), and never use tap water. It is also better to use boiled water for brushing your teeth and rinsing your mouth.
• Deception and fraud. The culture of tourism business in Crimea, according to the authors of the site, is conducted at a fairly high level. There are not many cases of cheating tourists. Worry that the scammers from the travel business will leave you without money, it is not worth much. As a maximum, if you are not vigilant, you can overpay for a taxi or an excursion.