Toxic sea slugs return to Auckland beaches

People are being urged to ensure dogs and children do not pick up or eat anything at Auckland beaches this winter after tests showed the poisonous sea slugs which killed two dogs last winter are back.

A dive survey this month found 94 sea slugs in subtidal water around seven beaches, five of them on the North Shore.

One slug from each location was tested, and all turned out positive for tetrodotoxin, the toxin found in the vomit of two dogs that died last winter after visiting North Shore beaches.

Several other dogs which became ill last winter were also believed to have eaten sea slugs.

Eight dolphins also died in the gulf last winter, but no trace of tetrodotoxin found.

The seven beaches at which sea slugs have been found in subtidal water were Long Bay, Browns Bay, Narrow Neck Beach, Cheltenham, Bayswater, Illiomama Rock near Rangitoto Island and Mission Bay.

No sea slugs were found at Omana or Eastern Beach.

Auckland Regional Council said councils were routinely patrolling beaches and collecting any sea slugs found.

An Auckland Regional Public Health Service advisory said children and pets needed to be supervised on Hauraki Gulf beaches, and that neither they nor adults should eat anything washed up on the beaches.

Parents needed to be aware of where children were swimming or playing and what they were handling, the spokesman said.

Anyone who spotted a sea slug should not touch it but should mark the spot and ask for an environmental health officer at the city or district council.

- NZPA