I spotted a lot of these little creatures in the waters at Jumeirah Beach today. They were up to 5 inches in diameter, of translucent blue color, and in any, say, 15 or 20 square foot area of water one could be seen floating about. No idea if they were dangerous are not. I didn't see anyone fleeing the water, but I didn't feel comfortable swimming around them. Anyone knows if dangerous?
11 April, 2007
Jellyfish
I spotted a lot of these little creatures in the waters at Jumeirah Beach today. They were up to 5 inches in diameter, of translucent blue color, and in any, say, 15 or 20 square foot area of water one could be seen floating about. No idea if they were dangerous are not. I didn't see anyone fleeing the water, but I didn't feel comfortable swimming around them. Anyone knows if dangerous?
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when you swim over them, they glide underneath you and normally do no harm. But if like me you manage to get one caught between your legs and you squash it by mistake it will clamp onto your inner thigh and sting like you cannot imagine. It happened to me when I was 17 and it was excruciatingly painful. Vinegar is the only solution. I had a purple swelling the width of a saucer for over a week.
CG - It depends on what type of jellyfish.
The blue jellyfish which are coming ashore at the moment are not the stinging type - we were picking them up on Umm Suqeim Beach tonight and refloating them.
They look like the ones in this Gulf News article from last year and are shaped like this example, but they are bright blue.
Turtles eat them, and because they look like the famous blue plastic bags that are common in the UAE, turtles often mistake floating plastic bags for jellyfish. They eat the bags and die.
Oh yeah - CG - OUCH!
I am jellyfish Phobic, I don't like those things and once found my self swimming amongst them, but didn't get stung that time.
I got stung when I was in the shallow end :(
The ink-blue ones in Australia sting horribly. So don't be lulled into a false sense of security by these ones if you ever go Down Under.
As salaam alaikum.
Jellyfish terrify me as well. So beautiful and delicate looking --yet so painful when messed with.
A little like minor shirk I guess.
Ma'as salaama,
nuh ibn
Thanks for those links, nzm. I would say that they were just like those bright blue ones pictured in the GN article. So, from what you guys are saying there are really nasty, stinging jellyfish out there but these are probably not the ones. Should be OK to swim cautiously among them. But having to take such caution will pretty much take the fun out of splashing about.
The problem is that the ones that dont sting grow up to become the stinging type. try to stay away from them, the likelihood of one stinging you is low, but if you do get the "pleasure" (like the above poster... and myself many times) they hurt like all hell.
great photo!
They are extremely dangerous
Beware :)
oh oh.. well be getting out pre summer jellyfish in no ime now..
missing the surf..
lirun
telaviv
Oh and don't forget that beached jellyfish, even if they appear dead, can still sting.
The local jellyfish will sting, and the sting will hurt. An allergic reaction can be a lot worse, requiring a trip to a doctor. But the sting is not in the same league as the Box Jellyfish from Down Under.
Scrape the tentacles off with a shaving action using a sharp knife. This removes the stinging cells that are embedded in you tender skin. Then dose liberally with vinegar.
Antihistamine cream will help with the furious itching that follows.
i remember as a kid being told vinegar and sand and then being told neither were effective..
is there a dr in the house?!
:)
According to this website, vinegar and antihistamine are good, but rubbing wet sand is a bad idea.
Wikipedia's entry on 'jellyfish' also includes info about sting treatment.
B.D.: you're welcome!
Not all jellyfish sting.
There are some that feed on algae which grows on their skin so they have no need to sting to hunt for food.
For those of you who are interested, here is one of the most comprehensive websites on jellyfish that I've found: New Jersey Scuba Diver
cheers.
I've seen many Aussie beaches with a small box on a pole, labelled "Jellyfish Sting" and containing a bottle of vinegar - so I guess it must work.
I've seen many of these blue ones on the beach along Umm Suqeim over the last few days, so there must be a lot out in the water. Whether they sting or not I don't know, but caution is the best thing - stay away from any jellyfish just in case.
Duuuuhhhhh!! whats wrong with u ppl?
If the JellyFish shouldn't be in the Beach! Where else should he go???
NightClub?
hey bd, why dont u take their photo if you see them at trilogy incase!
Even spongebob square pants would agree with me!
CG.. I guess that hurts.. but think of the poor jelly fish too!
Have no idea about jellyfish except that they can sting, but the post & comments were helpful. So, precaution for all: stay away.
Buj & cg, love the chemistry that jellyfish ignite in you both. Whoah, love it: ironic my comment position coincides with Buj's comment. Now that brings me on to CG..hmm are you talking about jellyfish or buj?
hl & h, where r u? what happened to your blog? miserable without it. pls respond.
I got stung in Greece a couple of times. My local hosts immediately applied toothpaste to the area affected. It helps.
So: if ever at Umm Suqueim beach - don't forget the toothpaste!
woow. that jellyfish would freak the crap out of me if i was in the water with it.
anyway. i did some research and i found out that yes these jellyfish are dangerous. if you get too close to them they will cling to you and then start to produce this slimy liquid. and it also said that once the liquid is on an object [[or person in this case]] it will begin to break it down. but on humans it will sting and peel off the skin if not washed immediately.
well thats all i found out. so hope it helps.:)
-anonymous
My daughter was stung by a jellyfish yesterday, it happened on the beach on the Palm! We've been here a week and not seen one so it was a shock when she ran out of the water, crying in pain! She was in pain for a little while but she was fine apart from a red mark on her leg which she still has today!
Most jellyfish aren't very poisonous, of course they will hurt you when stung but, will not kill you.
As a life guard, I apply vinegar to the stung area of the person and then scrape off the tentacles with some kind of hard and little sharp thing, you can use a credit card, apply vinegar again, it kills pain. Later can apply antihistamine lotion, which will take care of the sting, if case is severe call 999 for ambulance.
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