HEALTHPLAN MAGAZINE

Marine conservation experts have warned that this summer the number of jellyfish along the Malaga coastline could be ‘more abundant than normal’.

With the lifting of Covid restrictions, Spanish beaches are set to receive a huge influx of international tourists this summer and many will be concerned about the potential risk.

However, biologist Jesús Bellido, from the Aula del Mar in Malaga, insists that there is no need for alarm, just extreme caution as "there are good conditions for jellyfish to be more abundant than normal in the high seas and, therefore, depending on the winds and currents, the swarms move down to the coast."

The most common jellyfish found on the beaches of Malaga is the Pelagia Noctiluca, also known as the carnation jellyfish. This particular species are a reddish-pink in colour, measure approximately 20 centimetres wide and are highly dangerous.

Although it is not known exactly when they will arrive on the beaches, past summers have seen them appear in June. Mr Bellido said, "There is no calendar", however, "the Pelagia Noctiluca is less seasonal and has a more constant presence throughout the year, although they do not always reach the coast, it depends on the oceanographic conditions".

Last year, however, there was a rapid increase in the Rhizostoma Luteum jellyfish. These are much larger in size but their sting is a lot milder. Bellido believes that this type will be seen this summer again on Malaga’s sandy shores, saying "It is not known if they are as abundant as last year, but they will appear at least sporadically.”

So what should you do if you get stung by a jellyfish?

According to the UK’s NHS website you should

• Rinse the affected area with seawater (not fresh water)
• Remove any spines from the skin using tweezers or the edge of a bank card
• Soak the area in very warm water (as hot as can be tolerated) for at least 30 minutes – use hot flannels or towels if you cannot soak it
• Take painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen.

You should not

• Use vinegar
• Pee on the sting
• Apply ice or a cold pack
• Touch any spines with your bare hands
• Cover or close the wound

If you experience the following you should seek medical help by going to your nearest hospital.

• Severe pain that is not going away
• Been stung on your face or genitals

The biologists also hope that scenes from last summer are not repeated, when beachgoers played with the jellyfish using shovels, buckets and even nets. Jesús Bellido said "We have to understand that it is a wild animal that is in its midst," insisting that "it doesn't make much sense that when there is a swarm we start pulling jellyfish out of the water because we are not going to remedy the problem."

"Nature has its own rules and those jellyfish will either end up stranded on the beach or the sea will take them back in," he concluded.

Sources

https://www.malagahoy.es/malaga/Malaga-medusas-playas-verano_0_1692431378.html
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/jellyfish-and-other-sea-creature-stings/