Last post we played show and tell with our photos and stories of great beach and scooter weather on the last day of 2008. So we thought we should let you in on one of the little drawbacks, Sea Pests.
We are right in the middle of Man-of-War and Jellyfish season and recently more than 100 swimmers became acquainted with these oceanic agents of sting and pain last weekend at beaches in our area. Nobody was seriously injured, but lifeguards were treating people with vinegar and meat tenderizer. The stings of jellyfish and bright blue man-of-wars cause itching and/or red welts.
Experts say they will come back out every time we get some east winds. As winter progresses the man-of-wars become larger, their tentacles longer and their sting more potent. Man-of-war are not jellyfish but an animal made of different organisms working together. In rare cases a man-of-war sting can be fatal.
After a flurry of sea pest activity the populations can subside with the winds but most area beaches were still flying the purple flags from the lifeguard stands warning beach goers that dangerous marine life might be lurking.
Most of us natives know what to do when stung and how to avoid the pests, but the man-of-war season coincides with tourist season and the visitors are unaware and usually are the targets.
Funny, some of the tourists don’t go in the water, but even if the things are washed up on the shore, you can get stung by touching them. And so many tourists are curious about them as they may have never seen one so they are tempted to touch it.
If you want to see the damage that one of these creatures can do, then check out this link about a guy who was just swimming along the shore in Key West when he had an encounter of the worst kind. http://members.iconn.net/~marlae/manofwar/encounters_keng1.htm
The Man-of-war season usually ends in March but the pesky little jellyfish stick around all year. Once we were snorkeling in September off the coast of Key West when we spotted a huge mass of jellyfish not far from us. Needless to say we got back to boat with great speed.
Nothing like a good book and a beach chair during these times. The beaches and the water are still beautiful and can be enjoyed with caution.
Nothing like a good book and a beach chair during these times. The beaches and the water are still beautiful and can be enjoyed with caution.
6 comments:
I've always been fascinated by jellyfish and Man O Wars since I was a kid. Have never been stung but sure had them nearby while swimming.
Great pictures!
Steve Williams
Scooter in the Sticks
Weird that you post about jellyfish making people sick around the same time as peanut butter being in the news for doing the same thing!
Seriously, I've spent hours gazing at these creatures in a local aquarium. Amazing that such beautiful and graceful creatures can cause such harm.
I hate to say it, but I've know women like that.
Great pictures! They perfectly illustrate the paradox of beautiful & deadly (or at least irritating).
The clear water is such a stark contrast to murky Puget Sound. And yet every weekend dozens of scuba divers converge on Seacrest Park to get their Sea Hunt on...
__Orin
Scootin' Old Skool
would have never known that something so beautiful can be bad for you. I would be one of those stupid tourists that wouldn't know any better, but I know now thanks to you
bob
bobskoot: wet coast scootin
Have you heard about Turritopsis Nutricula, the immortal jellyfish? Good job they're only 5mm big.
They have the ability to revert to a juvenile state once they've mated.
A characteristic I wouldn't mind having myself, to be honest.
Who goes swimming in January in 70 degree water? Not me.
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