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I'm curious, given the morbid fear that's been instilled in me since childhood.
First hand experiences, please. I can read reference stuff on the internet.
First hand experiences, please. I can read reference stuff on the internet.
In reply to Dispater:
Not sure about UK waters but I think they can be pretty painful generally. See here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-28676161
Not sure about UK waters but I think they can be pretty painful generally. See here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-28676161
In reply to Dispater:
I got stung on the jaw, cheek and forehead by jellyfish in the coast off the Torridon's a few weeks ago. I didn't notice it happen at the time - I was playing around in some big waves and assume one just got smashed in to my face with the big wall of water... I only became aware that my face was tingling after I came out of the cold water and started to warm up. I'd describe it as a minor annoyance rather than pain. Took about 8 hours to fade. I think it was an Aurelia Aurita which are not renowned for being fierce stingers.
I got stung on the jaw, cheek and forehead by jellyfish in the coast off the Torridon's a few weeks ago. I didn't notice it happen at the time - I was playing around in some big waves and assume one just got smashed in to my face with the big wall of water... I only became aware that my face was tingling after I came out of the cold water and started to warm up. I'd describe it as a minor annoyance rather than pain. Took about 8 hours to fade. I think it was an Aurelia Aurita which are not renowned for being fierce stingers.
In reply to Dispater:
I got done on the ankle/lower leg in the Med last year and it was very painful for an hour or so.....i wouldnt fancy it anywhere else like on my face or neck etc...
I got done on the ankle/lower leg in the Med last year and it was very painful for an hour or so.....i wouldnt fancy it anywhere else like on my face or neck etc...
In reply to Dispater:
You can sometimes find these jellyfish http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelagia_noctiluca in UK waters and they are fairly painful imo. I had marks from them that lasted a week.
You can sometimes find these jellyfish http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelagia_noctiluca in UK waters and they are fairly painful imo. I had marks from them that lasted a week.
In reply to Dispater:
All I remember from when I was stung as a kid was that it was comparable to falling into a nettle patch.
I think the Lions mane jelly fish is supposed to be a lot worse.
All I remember from when I was stung as a kid was that it was comparable to falling into a nettle patch.
I think the Lions mane jelly fish is supposed to be a lot worse.
In reply to Dispater:
When deep water soloing at Barrel Zawn in North Pembroke a week or so ago there were copious quantities of jellyfish in the water below - moon, blue and compass varieties all visible. Certainly a good incentive not to fall in!
When deep water soloing at Barrel Zawn in North Pembroke a week or so ago there were copious quantities of jellyfish in the water below - moon, blue and compass varieties all visible. Certainly a good incentive not to fall in!
Post edited at 12:24
In reply to Dispater:
It depends on the species - moon jellyfish are the most common and aren't much worse than nettle stings. Compass and Lions Mane jellyfish can be more nasty.
http://www.marine-conservation.org.uk/ukjellyfish.html
It depends on the species - moon jellyfish are the most common and aren't much worse than nettle stings. Compass and Lions Mane jellyfish can be more nasty.
http://www.marine-conservation.org.uk/ukjellyfish.html
In reply to Dispater:
Depends very much on species, which in turn varies by location.
For identification, likely harm and treatment etc for Irish sea species see the Ecojel guide at http://www.jellyfish.ie/
Lion's Mane jellyfish are the usual ones that cause noticeable stings for swimmers. Contact with the 'tentacles' can happen without actually seeing the jellyfish e.g. on kayak paddles or fishing line. I usually get stung many times through a summer/autumn season but it's rarely enough to be a problem. It generally feels like a nettle rash in intensity and duration of tingling / pain. Scrape the stingers off with a credit card or rinse with lots of salt water. For Lions Mane stings DO NOT try using urine, vinegar, fresh water etc as these can make the stingers release more of the irritant chemicals. Can be an issue for dogs too, because they tend to see the red jellyfish on the beach and try to eat them, thinking they are some sort of meat, and get a very sore mouth / throat.
More serious stings come from "non-Jellyfish" species, mainly Portuguese Man-o'war, and can be dangerous because the pain can be severe enough to make it difficult to keep swimming - a kid I was in school with nearly died after jumping off a jetty on top of one.
Depends very much on species, which in turn varies by location.
For identification, likely harm and treatment etc for Irish sea species see the Ecojel guide at http://www.jellyfish.ie/
Lion's Mane jellyfish are the usual ones that cause noticeable stings for swimmers. Contact with the 'tentacles' can happen without actually seeing the jellyfish e.g. on kayak paddles or fishing line. I usually get stung many times through a summer/autumn season but it's rarely enough to be a problem. It generally feels like a nettle rash in intensity and duration of tingling / pain. Scrape the stingers off with a credit card or rinse with lots of salt water. For Lions Mane stings DO NOT try using urine, vinegar, fresh water etc as these can make the stingers release more of the irritant chemicals. Can be an issue for dogs too, because they tend to see the red jellyfish on the beach and try to eat them, thinking they are some sort of meat, and get a very sore mouth / throat.
More serious stings come from "non-Jellyfish" species, mainly Portuguese Man-o'war, and can be dangerous because the pain can be severe enough to make it difficult to keep swimming - a kid I was in school with nearly died after jumping off a jetty on top of one.
In reply to Dispater:
Slightly off-topic:
Not sure about jellyfish, but I have heard that weever fish stings are very painful. Fortunately I have not been stung myself.
The weever fish has a sharp spine on its dorsal fin which contains the venom. They bury themselves in the sand, leaving the venomous spine exposed. Quite a lot of barefooted bathers get stung by them on sandy beaches (quite common on the South coast). Quite a lot of people have never heard of this species, so mistakenly assume they have been stung by a jellyfish. If the sting is on your foot it is probably a weever fish.
Slightly off-topic:
Not sure about jellyfish, but I have heard that weever fish stings are very painful. Fortunately I have not been stung myself.
The weever fish has a sharp spine on its dorsal fin which contains the venom. They bury themselves in the sand, leaving the venomous spine exposed. Quite a lot of barefooted bathers get stung by them on sandy beaches (quite common on the South coast). Quite a lot of people have never heard of this species, so mistakenly assume they have been stung by a jellyfish. If the sting is on your foot it is probably a weever fish.
In reply to wintertree:
I've had the same - not noticed whilst in cold water, only when warming up afterwards in the shower. Lion's mane, I think - big red things....
Very much like a nettle sting, I'd say. Although in my case, the allergic reaction on top was a bit more of a nuisance.
I've had the same - not noticed whilst in cold water, only when warming up afterwards in the shower. Lion's mane, I think - big red things....
Very much like a nettle sting, I'd say. Although in my case, the allergic reaction on top was a bit more of a nuisance.
Post edited at 13:00
In reply to kathrync:
moon jellyfish...the pretty round violet ones that is...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurelia_aurita
dont sting at all, or at least not enough for humans to feel. The plain white coloured ones do though, theyre probably the ones youre thinking off.
moon jellyfish...the pretty round violet ones that is...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurelia_aurita
dont sting at all, or at least not enough for humans to feel. The plain white coloured ones do though, theyre probably the ones youre thinking off.
In reply to Dispater:
I'd answer as above, it depends on the type. I was diving in in Loch Long just a week ago and got as close as I'd want to a Lions Mane jellyfish, I estimated the body to be about 1m in height. I made sure to get out its way. Another diver had been stung the week before by a Lions Mane when he swam through the tentacles, he said it was painful and he used vinegar to treat the pain on his face.
I'm on the Clyde coast and noticed a lot of jellyfish beached on the sand when walking the dog last week.
I'd answer as above, it depends on the type. I was diving in in Loch Long just a week ago and got as close as I'd want to a Lions Mane jellyfish, I estimated the body to be about 1m in height. I made sure to get out its way. Another diver had been stung the week before by a Lions Mane when he swam through the tentacles, he said it was painful and he used vinegar to treat the pain on his face.
I'm on the Clyde coast and noticed a lot of jellyfish beached on the sand when walking the dog last week.
In reply to drmarten:
Lots of jellyfish on the south Pembrokeshire coast some days, and none on others, I think it depends on wind direction among other things. The ones
I have swum into are no worse than nettle stings.
Lots of jellyfish on the south Pembrokeshire coast some days, and none on others, I think it depends on wind direction among other things. The ones
I have swum into are no worse than nettle stings.
In reply to Neil Henson:
Having been stung loads of times by both the Lesser and Greater varieties back in my home town, i can assure it hurts like hell and a bit more.
On the other hand the jellyfish smacks we used to get around there were largely harmless as they would die in the cold waters, and the opportunity to have some large scale jelly fights was always to good to be missed
Having been stung loads of times by both the Lesser and Greater varieties back in my home town, i can assure it hurts like hell and a bit more.
On the other hand the jellyfish smacks we used to get around there were largely harmless as they would die in the cold waters, and the opportunity to have some large scale jelly fights was always to good to be missed
In reply to pebbles:
No, I mean moon jellyfish like the ones you linked to. They do sting, but most humans either don't feel it, or it's no more than slightly tingly. I quite regularly pick these up when I am paddling (mostly to prove to non-believers that you can) and I usually have mildly tingly hands for about an hour or so afterwards.
I think the plain white one you mean is probably a barrel jellyfish http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhizostoma_pulmo which does have a stronger sting that more people can feel but is not strong enough to be harmful to humans. It is worth pointing out though that the moon jellyfish varies in colour from plain white through a range of pinks, purples and blues - the distinguishing features are the (usually) four gonads you can see outlined through the top of the head rather than the colour.
> moon jellyfish...the pretty round violet ones that is...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurelia_aurita
> dont sting at all, or at least not enough for humans to feel. The plain white coloured ones do though, theyre probably the ones youre thinking off.
No, I mean moon jellyfish like the ones you linked to. They do sting, but most humans either don't feel it, or it's no more than slightly tingly. I quite regularly pick these up when I am paddling (mostly to prove to non-believers that you can) and I usually have mildly tingly hands for about an hour or so afterwards.
I think the plain white one you mean is probably a barrel jellyfish http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhizostoma_pulmo which does have a stronger sting that more people can feel but is not strong enough to be harmful to humans. It is worth pointing out though that the moon jellyfish varies in colour from plain white through a range of pinks, purples and blues - the distinguishing features are the (usually) four gonads you can see outlined through the top of the head rather than the colour.
In reply to Dispater:
P.s. The last few years some Portuguese-Man-of-Wars have reached those beaches alive and well, and from what i've heard you wouldn't want to be doing jelly fights with them...
P.s. The last few years some Portuguese-Man-of-Wars have reached those beaches alive and well, and from what i've heard you wouldn't want to be doing jelly fights with them...
In reply to Neil Henson:
I have been, and my toe went blue and felt like it was being crushed in a vice- the lifeguard informed me of my miss-fortune. I wasn't aware of the sting until I left the sea (Cornwall) and my toe began to 'thaw'. It was very painful much more than a 12'' inch jelly sting I received in the Med, which was also quite painful
> (In reply to Dispater)
>
>
> Not sure about jellyfish, but I have heard that weever fish stings are very painful. Fortunately I have not been stung myself.
I have been, and my toe went blue and felt like it was being crushed in a vice- the lifeguard informed me of my miss-fortune. I wasn't aware of the sting until I left the sea (Cornwall) and my toe began to 'thaw'. It was very painful much more than a 12'' inch jelly sting I received in the Med, which was also quite painful
In reply to Dispater:
Of the jellyfish i have been stung by the pain ranges from nettles to bee stings. Most commonly in the nettle range - and then I only notice after getting out of the water.
I've never to my knowledge been stung by any of the scary looking ones.
Of the jellyfish i have been stung by the pain ranges from nettles to bee stings. Most commonly in the nettle range - and then I only notice after getting out of the water.
I've never to my knowledge been stung by any of the scary looking ones.
In reply to Dispater:
Here is one on Black Rocks Sands at Tremadoc, the shoe is for scale.
http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=216400
Here is one on Black Rocks Sands at Tremadoc, the shoe is for scale.
http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=216400
In reply to Dispater:
Got quite well lions mained across my face and hands when kayaking a couple of years back (inadvertently flipped the jellyfish with my paddle). Probably didn't help that the weeks of saltwater had removed most of the skin on my hands but I could barely pull myself together enough to get the thing off me... Wouldn't really recommend it! However as above for the others, mainly just irritations. One thing I came to realise is it's very hard to tell whether they're alive or not, just because one wasn't too bad don't assume the next!
Got quite well lions mained across my face and hands when kayaking a couple of years back (inadvertently flipped the jellyfish with my paddle). Probably didn't help that the weeks of saltwater had removed most of the skin on my hands but I could barely pull myself together enough to get the thing off me... Wouldn't really recommend it! However as above for the others, mainly just irritations. One thing I came to realise is it's very hard to tell whether they're alive or not, just because one wasn't too bad don't assume the next!
In reply to 65m moderate millington:
I don't think it matters too much whether they're still alive - the stinging cells (cnidocytes) can trigger mechanically, and can still sting (burst and fire a tiny, poisonous harpoon!) even when the jellyfish has been smashed to pieces.
I don't think it matters too much whether they're still alive - the stinging cells (cnidocytes) can trigger mechanically, and can still sting (burst and fire a tiny, poisonous harpoon!) even when the jellyfish has been smashed to pieces.
In reply to Al Evans:
I remember, way back, a lecturer telling us about 'stinging water' after a storm, full of more-or-less invisible mashed up jellyfish tentacles!
The good news is, it's likely to be fairly dilute, so probably less likely to cause the worst stings. Also, it can disperse quickly, and I suppose it'll rot or degrade fairly rapidly.
Still, it can't be a pleasant surprise.
I remember, way back, a lecturer telling us about 'stinging water' after a storm, full of more-or-less invisible mashed up jellyfish tentacles!
The good news is, it's likely to be fairly dilute, so probably less likely to cause the worst stings. Also, it can disperse quickly, and I suppose it'll rot or degrade fairly rapidly.
Still, it can't be a pleasant surprise.
In reply to skog:
That'll depend on the type of jellyfish and how long they've been dead, but i guess best advise is to assume they all can, though you'll miss all the fun
That'll depend on the type of jellyfish and how long they've been dead, but i guess best advise is to assume they all can, though you'll miss all the fun
In reply to Dispater:
To be fair, the ones that didnt sting could've been plastic bags, didn't wear my glasses when kayaking
To be fair, the ones that didnt sting could've been plastic bags, didn't wear my glasses when kayaking
In reply to Dispater:
I believe Irukandji jellyfish have been found in UK waters and the resulting sting can cause
Irukandji syndrome which is considered to be excruciatingly painful, sometimes lethally so
I believe Irukandji jellyfish have been found in UK waters and the resulting sting can cause
Irukandji syndrome which is considered to be excruciatingly painful, sometimes lethally so
Post edited at 21:46
In reply to Dave:
You have to be kidding?
Anything can be in UK waters..
They are plankton, of course it can happen, we get great whites..
I'd not consider them a threat for a millisecond…
I was just night swimming off marthas vineyard in lovely luminescent jellies, ctenophores and phytoplankton.. just so special to witness.. I got a few stings from tentacles I think shredded in propellors but only mild reactions..
In the UK I'd not consider any species a risk unless we get a huge influx of some species which we do get, but when we do the water is packed…
You have to be kidding?
Anything can be in UK waters..
They are plankton, of course it can happen, we get great whites..
I'd not consider them a threat for a millisecond…
I was just night swimming off marthas vineyard in lovely luminescent jellies, ctenophores and phytoplankton.. just so special to witness.. I got a few stings from tentacles I think shredded in propellors but only mild reactions..
In the UK I'd not consider any species a risk unless we get a huge influx of some species which we do get, but when we do the water is packed…
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