Two news stories recently about Jellyfish. Rosie mentioned she had seen one on the sand on a trip to the Norfolk coast last month. She is wise enough to know the look-but-don't-touch rule. "National Coastwatch Brancaster" issued a warning in the Eastern Daily Press about these giant jellyfish
"As summer warms our seas, an all-you-can-eat plankton
buffet triggers a massive jellyfish baby boom. Because these guys are 95% water and shockingly terrible
swimmers, they can't fight the ocean currents. Combine that with strong onshore winds and
high spring tides, and they get pushed right into shallow waters, leaving them
stranded when the tide goes out." The authority has described the surge as a totally
natural event and has urged those visiting Norfolk's beaches not to touch the
animals. Dead or alive, these gelatinous tourists can still pack a painful sting.
Meanwhile, in Wales, the BBC reports a number of velella vellela jellyfish appearing on the beaches across Anglesey, Gwynedd and Tenby. The popular name for this beautiful blue babies is "by-the-wind-sailors" and they are closely related to the better known, much larger, Portuguese Man O'War . Jellyfish are freefloating hydrozoans. These ones are about 7cm across.
They have a small sail like structure which catches the wind and moves them, in shoals, across the surface of the ocean. They sparkle in the sunlight. Their sting is milder, but nonetheless painful.
Such fascinating creatures - very popular in children's cartoons [eg SpongeBob SquarePants] and on CBeebies...
We have had thousands of those "by the wind sailors" wash up on our beaches along the west coast, earlier this year.
ReplyDelete🪼🎐🪼🎐they do look beautiful
DeleteJellyfish are fascinating creatures but like many beautiful things, a look but don’t touch policy is definitely needed! Catriona
ReplyDeleteAgreed!🪼🎐🪼🎐
DeleteBeautiful creatures to look at and they look so fragile but they can pack a nasty painful sting. Look but don't touch is the best policy.
ReplyDelete🎐🪼🎐🪼
DeleteBeautiful they may be but I find there is something slightly repellent about them.
ReplyDeleteI was terrified of them as a child. They seemed sinister and other-worldly
DeleteSome years ago we stopped at an isolated beach in Northern Australia and were greeted by a sign warning of alligators in a nearby swamp, and there was a first-aid set up with vinegar for first aid treatment for jellyfish stings, apparently life-threatening in tropical waters. Needless to say we headed straight back into our rental car.
ReplyDeleteAs a young teenager while swimming in the ocean a large jellyfish wrapped itself around my thigh and stung the whole area. Oh that hurt! But worse were the welts that itched something awful for days after the sting passed!
ReplyDeleteWhat an awful experience
Delete