Jellyfish and Dogs Bay/Gurteen

josip

We were down around Clifden at the weekend and ended up on Gurteen/Dogs Bay on Sat/Sun. Saturday we saw 3 or 4 compass jellyfish washed in on Gurteen. On Sunday we also saw a few compass on Dogs Bay but as the evening wore on and the tide came in more and more common jelly fish appeared until the sea was a complete jelly fish soup.

1. Is this common for Dogs' Bay?
2. Does Gurteen have fewer jellies?
3. Would it have been influenced by the wind point and the part of the beach we were on?
4. Does the common jellyfish sting? I've been stung a few times before, and now the sight of any jelly in the water ruins the pleasure of swimming in the sea.
5. Does the compass sting?
6. How would the pain of their stings compare with the bluebottle in Australia?
7. Does the west coast of Ireland have more jelly fish on the beaches than the east/south coasts? I was brought up on Tramore beach and never saw a jelly there.
8. What beaches on the west coast have no/few jelly fish?

OpenWaterbaby

Here's the best info around on jellyfish found on Irish coasts http://www.jellyfish.ie/irish_sea_jellyfish.asp

Common jellyfish don't sting, I remember having jellyfish fights with them when I was a kid even funnier to plop one on a sunbather (one you know of course!!....so the victim was usually my Mum or Dad)

Got stung by a compass jellyfish at the Windsurfers Pier sea swim on Saturday and it felt like a nettle sting but that sensation disappears after an hour or so. However, yesterday evening, little itchy welts similar to a row of midge bites have popped up on my arms where I was stung. Anthisan seems to be keeping them at bay.