The seas are full of strange creatures. Some of these are harmless. Others are extremely dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. Take the Portuguese Man-of-War jellyfish for instance. While not a true jellyfish it is still absolutely terror-inducing. It is also known as the Floating Terror or Bluebottle jellyfish. And now, a cluster of these marine organisms have been spotted off Baga beach today. Jellyfish are of two kinds – toxic and non-toxic. Most are harmless to humans, their sting only bringing on a mild irritation. The Bluebottle jellyfish is definitely toxic and their sting is extremely dangerous to humans whether the creature is alive or dead.
Bluebottle jellyfish on one of Goa’s famous beaches
The Bluebottle jellyfish spotted on Baga beach, in this case, are less than an inch in size. That is still big enough to cause terror in people’s minds. The tourism department has been alerted to this already. Drishti has also issued an advisory asking the public not to venture into the sea.
The monsoons are not quite done with Goa. The state is still seeing random showers at different places. Which means the sea is also still rough and swimming or bathing is out of the question. Drishti’s advisory regarding the monsoons, announced before the season began, still stands in effect.
However, there is a possibility that the sea waters are getting warmer which could account for the presence of these Bluebottle jellyfish. Jellyfish tend to show up in areas where the water is warm.
What to do if stung by Bluebottle jellyfish
In addition to the advisory, Drishti has also offered tips on what to do in case one comes in contact with a Bluebottle jellyfish and gets stung. They are simple enough to follow but really important to take note of.
· Wash the stung area with hot water (as hot as you can stand it) as heat further breaks down the toxins.
· Generously spray the stung area with vinegar. It is known to diffuse any poison that may be more active in the nematocysts present in the tentacles.
· Place ice packs on the stung area to reduce the pain and swelling.
· In case of chest pain and breathing difficulty, visit the doctor immediately.
Check out some interesting facts about jellyfish in the link below.
The below National Geographic article gives some interesting information on these Bluebottle jellyfish which they say are not true jellyfish. Have a look.
Information credit – Drishti Marine
ItsGoa/AUG/KDGP
