Anyone been stung by a jellyfish?

[Spectre]

I was getting stung pretty often in North Carolina; but nothing more than just annoyances. Sort of like when you get sprayed with little sparks after someone throws a log on the fire. Just annoyance stings from teeny ones that I could barely see [the bigger ones I was able to avoid].

I ended up using my hands as a sort of shovel deflector to deflect the little bastards down under me.

Most everyone on the trip got some stings; only one had a reaction to them however.

 

[mars2u]

Hmmmm...not my experience....here's some photos for everyone to enjoy

Should I mention you shouldn't try this at home kiddies!!!

BTW see further pics below and explanation...lol

 

[mars2u]

another pic:

 

[mars2u]

OK...here's the last pic.

One note here:

AGAIN...DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME....unless you're at Jellyfish Lake in Palau.

They've evolved and lost their stinging capability.

The explanation is at my web site...and I won't bore you with the scientific explanation unless you want to read it up on my site and see other pics. There were literally millions there and you had to be careful not to destroy them with your finning.

 

[FredT]

Spectre once bubbled...
I was getting stung pretty often in North Carolina; but nothing more than just annoyances. Sort of like when you get sprayed with little sparks after someone throws a log on the fire. Just annoyance stings from teeny ones that I could barely see [the bigger ones I was able to avoid].

There are several critters that like to eat jellies, and often they leave parts of the tentacles. Those "loose" tentacle fragments can still sting for days after they are ctu or broken from the jelly. Swimming downstream of a spade or trigger school in jelly country can be a mistake!

 

[finstotheleft]

That's pretty wild Mars2u!

Bear with me on this...

I'm still trying to figure out the bristle worm thing...someone said earlier that if you make them mad, they will shoot out little "stingers" into the surrounding water. So could you get stung w/o touching them???

 

[gkwaldee]

got stung during a beach dive one day...........they were tiny lil critters, couldnt even see them unless you really looked. They just looked like debris at the quick glance. Didnt sting long, kinda like fiberglass does.

tiny bubbles

 

[drbill]

I noticed this thread a while back but had nothing to contribute since I hadn't been stung. That changed about 10 days ago, entirely my fault though.

I was videotaping a fried egg jellyfish that had wandered into Catalina's Dive Park and decided to get really tight footage of the tentacles for my cable TV show. I got up close and personal, getting great shots... and the jelly got a few good "shots" at me.

I noticed a stray tentacle broken loose due to a collision with the rocks. A kelp bass swam up and I got footage of it eyeing the tentacle, then eating it. I waited for a reaction, but there was none. I guess that kelp bass liked spicy food!

I was surprised at how mild the stings were, not enough to bother me at all. I then researched this species (rare here) and discovered it feeds on other jellies and does indeed have a mild sting.

Dr. Bill

 

[daytona]

I was stung by a dead Portugese Man-o-war, while digging in the sand. It was rather bad but not the end of the world. I would not want to assend into a live one though.

Eric

 

[PhotoTJ]

...about jellies and panic.

I was the staff photographer at Club Med, Sonora Bay, back in 1995. While on a kayak jaunt, I noticed a couple of jellies in the water. At almost exactly the same time, the girl in front of me scooped up a jelly on her paddle. Instead of dunking the paddle in the water, and giving it a shake, she screamed, and held the end with the jelly on it straight up, over her head! The jelly slid down the shaft, and down her arm. She screamed again, and began to flail around. the jelly slid up her arm, (she was holding her arm up, still!), and got tangled in her hair. She whipped her head around, flinging it into her swimsuit top!

OK, she was stung on her right arm, her neck, her back, her chin, and between her...well, in her clevage.

Field treatment worked as advertised. (yes)

Back at the club, she saw the Doctor, and after a night's rest, was fine, although a little embarrassed.

Had she not freaked out at the sight of the jelly, her vacation would have been much better, I think.