Mediterranean jellyfish blooms

[Tony Cross]

The news report today at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23243759 asks sailors (amongst other water users) to report jellyfish sightings to the Mediterranean JellyRisk programme at http://jellyrisk.eu/en/sightings/.

We've not noticed a particular increase in eastern Crete, though we always get a few (SWMBO was stung on the leg the other day, not seriously though). Apparently there isn't any good data about jellyfish distribution in the Mediterranean so this is an opportunity for us to do some real science.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

You get years where jellyfish appears to be everywhere in the water, but these are the harmless varieties, even the great big yellow/orange ones. I never liked swimming among them, but they only stay for a couple of weeks and then the current takes them away.

 

[macd]

The news report today at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23243759 asks sailors (amongst other water users) to report jellyfish sightings to the Mediterranean JellyRisk programme at http://jellyrisk.eu/en/sightings/.

We've not noticed a particular increase in eastern Crete, though we always get a few (SWMBO was stung on the leg the other day, not seriously though). Apparently there isn't any good data about jellyfish distribution in the Mediterranean so this is an opportunity for us to do some real science.

We've scarcely seen a jellyfish all year, in passage from Ionian round Ploponese to Turkey. But we have seen lots of turtles at this end, plus a fair number of dolphins in crossing the Aegean. The high spot was a pod of around 15 Rissos dolphins: beautiful creatures: dark grey to black with the most intricate white marbling underneath. They don't bow-ride, but a couple of them showed some curiosity about the boat, allowing us a very good gander.

 

[CreakyDecks]

You get years where jellyfish appears to be everywhere in the water, but these are the harmless varieties, even the great big yellow/orange ones. I never liked swimming among them, but they only stay for a couple of weeks and then the current takes them away.

I saw a Spanish local trying to persuade a hysterical English girl that it was safe to get off one of those floating platforms by putting one of those big orange jellyfish on his head like a hat! That's a guy who knows his jellyfish species!

 

[VO5]

Last summer Portuguese Men O' War were spotted on Spanish beaches in sporadic numbers, brought in from the Atlantic and driven in by the wind.
Our beach lifeguards were on a sharp lookout but none on our beaches here in Gib.
Several sightings were reported of small clusters but in the middle of the Strait of Gibraltar, at least 6 miles offshore. Nasty beasties.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

Last summer Portuguese Men O' War were spotted on Spanish beaches in sporadic numbers, brought in from the Atlantic and driven in by the wind.
Our beach lifeguards were on a sharp lookout but none on our beaches here in Gib.
Several sightings were reported of small clusters but in the middle of the Strait of Gibraltar, at least 6 miles offshore. Nasty beasties.

We also had Portuguese men of War jellyfish in West Wales, near Dale three years ago; a few of them were blown up on the sandy beach alive; we had to bury them in the sand so no one would step on them.

 

[MASH]

So what does a blooming jellyfish look like...?

 

[interloper]

There are at least two distinct types of jellyfish in the seas around Greece. There are large non-stinging ones that the Greeks call "medusas", and there are smaller stinging ones. I've frequently seen the medusas during the day. I remember one of my uncles putting one on his head just to be funny. I've never encountered the smaller stinging ones during the day, but I remember two of my cousins getting stung by them when we went for a late-night swim.

 

[Tony Cross]

There are at least two distinct types of jellyfish in the seas around Greece. There are large non-stinging ones that the Greeks call "medusas", and there are smaller stinging ones. I've frequently seen the medusas during the day. I remember one of my uncles putting one on his head just to be funny. I've never encountered the smaller stinging ones during the day, but I remember two of my cousins getting stung by them when we went for a late-night swim.

Interesting. SWMBO has been stung three or four times over the years by something invisible in the water (she's never seen anything anyway) but with long tentacles (a foot or more long) that wrap around her arms or legs (and once around her torso). They sting, though not badly, and she then gets raised and red welts in the stung areas for a few days. They itch but she's found a cream from the pharmacy that stops that. The locals just nod wisely and say it's nothing to worry about....

 

[mocruising]

Seen none in Turkey this year.

 

[Cardo]

There are at least two distinct types of jellyfish in the seas around Greece. There are large non-stinging ones that the Greeks call "medusas", and there are smaller stinging ones. I've frequently seen the medusas during the day. I remember one of my uncles putting one on his head just to be funny. I've never encountered the smaller stinging ones during the day, but I remember two of my cousins getting stung by them when we went for a late-night swim.

If it's anything like Spanish, "medusa" is the word for jellyfish.

Interesting. SWMBO has been stung three or four times over the years by something invisible in the water (she's never seen anything anyway) but with long tentacles (a foot or more long) that wrap around her arms or legs (and once around her torso). They sting, though not badly, and she then gets raised and red welts in the stung areas for a few days. They itch but she's found a cream from the pharmacy that stops that. The locals just nod wisely and say it's nothing to worry about....

We get something similar around here. There are larger and smaller ones. The smaller ones are the ones to stay clear of. However, they also advise staying clear of the larger ones (body around half a metre long, plus tentacles) as they can also sting, though it's more of an irritation rather than life threatening. Though they do say you could get into trouble if you get swamped by a group of them.

We generally don't get many here in the southern bay of the Ebro delta, however we anchored in the northern bay and there were tons of them. We counted at least 7 of the big ones around the boat when we first arrived.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Interesting. SWMBO has been stung three or four times over the years by something invisible in the water (she's never seen anything anyway) but with long tentacles (a foot or more long) that wrap around her arms or legs (and once around her torso). They sting, though not badly, and she then gets raised and red welts in the stung areas for a few days. They itch but she's found a cream from the pharmacy that stops that. The locals just nod wisely and say it's nothing to worry about....

Sounds like one of the purple/brown b*stards. Generally two or three inches across, tentacles trailing a foot or more. Tend to come in swarms rather than singly. Closed lots of beaches in Mediterranean France over the last few years. Them b*stards is b*stards!

 

[Tony Cross]

Sounds like one of the purple/brown b*stards. Generally two or three inches across, tentacles trailing a foot or more. Tend to come in swarms rather than singly. Closed lots of beaches in Mediterranean France over the last few years. Them b*stards is b*stards!

Could be I suppose, though she did say she's looked for something when she's been stung and couldn't see anything at all. Judging by the marks on her skin it's been an individual that's stung her, if it had been a swarm they'd be all over her I think?

In any case, shouting "jellyfish" on the beaches here would get the same response from the local council that shouting "shark" did on Amity Island.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Well, not swarms like bees, but swarms like quite a lot at a time. Not usually seen as individuals.