There is nothing like August along the Delaware coast. The days are hot, the nights are thumping with live music, and orange crushes are flowing at most restaurants and bars. I especially like the warmer sea temperatures this time of year. Unfortunately, warmer waters bring out an unwelcome visitor to our ocean and bays – the drifting, pulsating jellyfish. They may not pay any lodging taxes or parking fees, but they take up residence and leave their mark – in the form of red, painful welts on our skin.
Swimming at the coast takes added vigilance in mid-late summer, but it is manageable.
Get to know which jellyfish to avoid and how to beat the sting:
Sea Walnuts are translucent, walnut-shaped creatures that are not true jellyfish. They are several inches long but do not have tentacles. Fortunately, they are harmless.
Moon Jellies look like clear disks with very short tentacles and four white horseshoe-shaped sacs in the center of their bodies. Moon jellies produce a minor stinging sensation.
Atlantic Nettles have long tentacles and clear, bell-shaped bodies with white dots and reddish-brown stripes. Nettles produce a strong to severe sting, so it is best to avoid them.
Lion’s Mane Jellyfish is the largest jellyfish commonly found in our waters. Its trailing tentacles resemble a lion’s mane and it has a reddish bell-shaped body. Avoid swimming if you see them since their sting is the second-most painful in our region.
Portuguese Man-o-War although not a true jellyfish and less common in our waters, the Man-O-War can be swept in by strong winds. It has a blueish-purple floating body with extremely long tentacles and its sting can be severe, sometimes requiring medical care.
How to Treat a Sting
Remove any tentacles still stuck to the skin with a seashell, credit card, and saltwater. Next, rinse off the area with hot, (not scalding) tap water for 20 minutes. If available, apply a topical lidocaine gel to the affected area for pain management. Watch for signs of an allergic reaction in the patient and call 911 if there is swelling in the face, neck, tongue, or lips, or if they experience breathing difficulties, dizziness, or shock.
Did you know?
- A dead or beached jellyfish can still sting.
- Jellyfish do not have a brain, heart, bones, or eyes.
- They only sting out of self-defense or to capture prey such as fish, crabs, and shrimp.
- It is not recommended to use human urine, meat tenderizer, alcohol, or pressure bandages. There is evidence that vinegar may sometimes activate stingers left on the skin.
Danielle is a certified climate change professional with Delaware Sea Grant (www.deseagrant.org). Delaware Sea Grant utilizes research, education, and extension work in support of resilient communities, economies, and coastal resources. Danielle provides technical assistance and outreach to communities on emergency preparedness and building resilience to weather and climate hazards. She is co-founder of the Resilient and Sustainable Communities League (RASCL – www.derascl.org) and loves hiking the Gordons Pond Trail in Cape Henlopen State Park.
