Sting it on
“Something just touched my foot!”
It’s a statement proclaimed from even the most confident sea swimmer when venturing into the UK’s coastal waters and spotting a certain scary sea creature: the jellyfish.
According to the Marine Conservation Society, there has been a record-breaking number of jellyfish bobbing around our favourite beaches. If that sentence alone filled you with fear, then we’re here to tell you that there’s no need to stay away from the beach this summer.
Yes, a rising number of jellies are swarming UK coastlines, but jellyfish are, overall, relatively harmless. In fact Martin Attrill, marine biologist and lecturer at Plymouth University, has come to the creature’s defence.
“Jellyfish are an entirely natural component of the UK’s plankton and are important predators,” Martin says.
He also says the reason we notice them is that they drift with currents and winds, and if they come across land (such as a bay), they can get stuck leading to numbers building up.
There is a chance, however, that an encounter with a jellyfish may result in a nasty sting.
That’s why we’ve turned to South Cornwall lifeguard supervisor, Abby Mundell, to give us some advice on how to deal with a jellyfish zap.
Q: What do you do when you get stung by a jellyfish?
Abby Mundell: It’s very boring but just rinse it in sea water. Make sure it is not fresh water though as it can make it worse.
Q: Why not fresh water?
AM: Ice and cold water can cause the stingers to release more venom and cause more pain.
Q: We’ve all seen that Friends episode with Monica getting stung by a jelly — does peeing on it actually help?
AM: Well, we don’t get taught about that in lifeguarding! What I do know is you shouldn’t rub on it as the stingers can release more venom. Some people say to use vinegar, but I don’t think that’s great.
The best action to take is to rinse with salt water, remove stingers with tweezers, and then apply an antihistamine cream. Lifeguards are trained to help with these situations, and if the injury gets worse, please seek medical help.
For more info on jellyfish, read the full article in the latest summer issue of GORP.