The Jellyfish Have Arrived! Sting More Than 200 People
The beaches of St. Augustine in Florida have witnessed over 200 beach goers experiencing jellyfish stings during the last week. This has resulted in lifeguards and marine rescue staff flying the purple "Dangerous Marine Life" flag for days earlier this week. The jellyfish arrived last Sunday or Monday, according to Lt. Dan Powers of the St. Johns County Fire and Marine Rescue.
Powers said it is difficult to predict the arrival of the jellyfish, since their paths are influenced by wind and tidal patterns. Having worked 18 summers as a lifeguard, Powers said this flood of jellyfish is "way above normal." "Tuesday was the worst," said Powers. "That's when lifeguards treated more than 150 swimmers for stings.”
However, Powers said injuries that were reported this week have been mainly minor or moderate, although allergic reactions are a possibility.
Powers said that those who are allergic to bee stings or insect bites are more vulnerable to an allergic reaction from a jellyfish sting, and should be very careful. If an allergic reaction is suspected, "Call 911," he said.
"I've had years when we've had this with (Portuguese) man-of-wars," Powers said. "But not this specific kind of jellyfish.” The question is what kind of jellyfish are these?
"Sea nettles," said Peter Anderson, director of the Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience in Marineland. "That's the safe guess."
According to Anderson, students at the research center have found a sea nettle on the bay this week, which could indicate that this is the type of jellyfish which has been stinging beachgoers."If there's one (sea nettle) around, there are others around," Anderson said. "I haven't seen one that's actually done the damage, but I know the sea nettle is here."
Anderson said that this type of jellyfish is brown and milky white in color, which makes them hard to detect in the water. These jellyfish have been described by lifeguards as having long tentacles that can sting swimmers ever after they have become detached from the jellyfish. Anderson also said the sea nettles are a common species in this area during the summer, and although their sting can be painful, it's unlikely to be deadly.
Josh Romaine, who has been a lifeguard for 20 years, said he hadn't treated anyone by 2 p.m. on Thursday."It's getting better," He said.
Although Romaine treated several stings during the week, he said he didn’t see a single jellyfish wash up on shore. "I haven't been able to actually find one," he said. This is good news for all!
http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2010-06-25/jellyfish-invade-beaches
Learn more about Jellyfish, different Jellyfish Species, general Jellyfish Information, Jellyfish Pets and Jellyfish Safety