Yeesh, jellyfish stings, the one underrated fear by many a beachgoer. How many times has someone wanted to go for a nice and relaxing swim in the sea under the bright rays of the sun, only to suddenly feel a searing pain in one of their arms in less than five minutes?
This isn’t an uncommon scenario; jellyfish are notoriously good at blending in the water of the ocean, causing them to be practically invisible to the naked eye. What doesn’t help either is how the water is unsteady and constantly making it difficult to perceive whatever may be underwater at the moment. Some of them may be above the water, making it a bit easier to spot them.
Indeed, jellyfish stings are the result of an unlucky bump with a jellyfish. While touching the “head” of a jellyfish won’t hurt you, touching their tentacles, on the other hand, will cause the jellyfish to “sting” you, leaving you with a searing pain for the rest of the day or so. The point of contact may have bumps as well, but the most common scenario is that it will eventually disappear on its own. If it is a much more powerful or potent jellyfish, however, you may need medical attention to ensure your survival.
So, if you’re at the beach, what should you do so you don’t end up like one of these unlucky people?
Get information about the jellyfish population in the area
Jellyfish can be found in beaches and oceans all over the world, so there’s no getting around their presence. Sometimes, they might appear. Other times, they will leave you alone. The best thing you can do in this scenario is to give yourself tons of knowledge about the potential jellyfish population in the area.
That means asking lifeguards, local residents, or local health department officials about the presence of jellyfish in the area. It’s not guaranteed to tell you how many jellyfishes may be around, but these people usually have been around long enough to tell you just how much of a risk you’ll be taking and whether or not you should expect the presence of jellyfish during your swim.
Avoid swimming during jellyfish season
During jellyfish season (also known as a jellyfish bloom), one should stay away from the waters. This is due to the fact that during this time, there is a substantial growth of the population of jellyfish in the waters, making it extremely dangerous for any swimmer as there is a high likelihood of being stung.
Jellyfish blooms can occur on any season, but it is noted that the months of spring and summer have much more jellyfish blooms than usual due to the warmer water temperatures. This means that jellyfish are able to reach sexual maturity faster.
Never touch a jellyfish, even if it’s washed up on the shore
You may be curious about a jellyfish that you found on the beach. After all, what harm could it do, now that it’s dead?
Turns out, a lot. Even if a jellyfish might not be alive, its tentacles still have the ability to release venom on whatever touches it.
This doesn’t just apply to beached jellyfish. In fact, even detached tentacles can still apply venom when touched, so tentacles floating out at sea or separated from the bodies of jellyfish found on the beach can be very dangerous to the touch still.
The best thing to do is to simply never touch any jellyfish part ever, whether it’s alive or dead.
Wear protective gear if you must
Certain swimwear, like wetsuits, have the ability to protect most of your body from jellyfish stings by way of covering you up. This allows you to swim mostly worry-free from jellyfish. Though not all of your body can be protected, so be vigilant and watch where your exposed parts touch, just in case.
Diving stores also sell protective stinger suits, made out of thin but high-tech fabric to combat potential jellyfish stings.
Finally, your feet will be doing most of the legwork (literally!) here, so wear protective footwear if you can. This is especially since your feet will be propelling you through the water, and will be underwater all the time, making it vulnerable to jellyfish stings. Not only that, but shallow water can still have jellyfish in them, which is why some jellyfish find themselves washed up on the shore. The waves may accidentally push the jellyfish onto your feet, giving you a very painful sting in the process!
Watch out for jellyfish flags
Most beaches should have a jellyfish flag. These flags are hung up by lifeguards which are meant to signal that there are jellyfish in the water, and that there is a potential risk of getting stung.
Though there are also flags that are used to signal the presence of jellyfish and other marine creatures that may be a potential threat to those who want to swim.
If you see a flag like this being hung up, you might want to get out of the water, and if you’re on the beach, you’re probably better off just sunbathing.