The truth about jellyfish...

evil-monkey

Could someone settle an argument for me please (informed opinions need only apply thank you).

The lovely lil jellyfish that we get here in our Irish waters, can they actually sting you? My buddy reckons they can, I say they can't.

The argument started the other day when we were out surfing and there was a serious bunch of them floating about. A lot more than I'd usually see. Two ended up on my board, and I just picked them up and tossed them (the clear kind with the little purplish bits in the center). My buddy then went on with the usual "watch out, they can sting you".

I thought it was just the big mofos you'd find much farther afield that can actually do any harm, and that the type we find floating about here could be almost served up alongside a block of raspberry ripple. Or am I totally wrong here and he's right and I should stop handling them when they find their way onto my board??

Thanks in advance

gerk86

i think they sting alright but I think they are fairly weak as in they can't even break the skin

TheTubes

No idea if they can sting but I was amazed at how many I saw on the beach at Garretstown the last couple of times I was down there.

seachto7

saw one on the beach at spanish point, I swear it was as big as a car wheel in width. I wouldn't like that one on my face...:eek:

ViDuchie

Little white ones are too crappy to sting. The Big Brown ones do sting.

Speaking from experience.

Vinegar does the trick tho.
V

spaceHopper

Lion's mane jellyfish have a powerfull sting and are found in ireland
http://www.waterford-today.ie/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=933

tonyfillony

the brown ones sting , the purple one dont.

Ricochet69

As far as i am aware after doing some research, since i had a simular argument with a friend; is that most jelly fish sting you, but its only the bigger ones stings that will actually hurt you.

cornbb

AFAIK the moon jellyfish (the very common one with purple circles in the middle) either don't sting or have a very mild sting.

seachto7

cornbb wrote: »

AFAIK the moon jellyfish (the very common one with purple circles in the middle) either don't sting or have a very mild sting.

thats the one i saw on the beach in Spanish Point. It was huge, really wide...

loctite

Don't know there names but the ones with the brown inside of em def do sting.. speaking from experience. I ain't no marine biologist but I wouldn't be eating em with ice cream if I were you...:)

Friend 1 : You nil :rolleyes:

Cecil Mor

http://www.glaucus.org.uk/CompassJellyfish-DH.jpg

I think Loctite you probably mean the Compass Jellys. They do sting to varying degrees as you said. Pic above.

MarkHobBray1977

best advice...avoid all if possible......

cornbb

Cecil Mor wrote: »

http://www.glaucus.org.uk/CompassJellyfish-DH.jpg

I think Loctite you probably mean the Compass Jellys. They do sting to varying degrees as you said. Pic above.

I just saw one of those guys at Silverstrand in Galway, about 200m offshore... scary f*ckers, best avoided indeed...

Killgore Trout

Yes they frigging sting. This was my arm last year - after swimming through a huge swarm of them in Howth. Think it was a Loin's Mane. It hurts. I could feel jolts around my body, not just the places I was stung, in the 24 hours after being stung. The stung area weeps. The inflammation cleared up after a week - no scarring but needed to resist scratching.

Treated with vinegar externally - Stout internally



Here's a good ID sheet you can take the pepsi challenge

loctite

Cecil Mor wrote: »

http://www.glaucus.org.uk/CompassJellyfish-DH.jpg

I think Loctite you probably mean the Compass Jellys. They do sting to varying degrees as you said. Pic above.

They be the ones alright....

seachto7

is it true that your own pee will work if you rub it on?

Killgore Trout

Pee will work if want to go around smelling like a public toilet. It's not acidic enough for the treatment of jellyfish stings.

Oh antihistamines may help minimise reaction/inflammation caused by the sting.

fiachy

Haha Seachto u definitely saw that on friends!
Pee just releases the venom. As was said earlier vinegar is probably the best cure, but if you enjoy pissing all over yourself you're welcome to it!!! hehe:D

Breaktown

I was stung once but I didn't see what kind of jellyfish it was. Does anyone know if they can they still sting if they're dead on the beach?

liberal

Gtown can get swamped with the Common Jelly Fish (thats actually their name according to that jelly fish id card), they don't sting, me and my friends have been known to throw them at each other

i read (in a book) that the increased CO2 content of the oceans due to climate change is making the seas more hospitable for jelly fish, that sucks

im off to youtube "portuguese man of war"

seachto7

fiachy wrote: »

...but if you enjoy pissing all over yourself you're welcome to it!!! hehe:D

usually happens after beer....:o