SWARMS of dangerous jellyfish are invading British waters putting bathers’ at risk of their nasty sting. Swimmers are warned to steer clear of Compass jellyfish, which pack a punch and leave its tentacle behind – which continues to sting. It comes several weeks after hundreds of Moon jellyfish – harmless to swimmers – were washed […]
SWARMS of dangerous jellyfish are invading British waters putting bathers’ at risk of their nasty sting.
Swimmers are warned to steer clear of Compass jellyfish, which pack a punch and leave its tentacle behind – which continues to sting.
It comes several weeks after hundreds of Moon jellyfish – harmless to swimmers – were washed up on Woolacombe beach in Devon.
Sunbathers in the county have also been warned to keep an eye out for mauve stingers, another jellyfish whose sting leaves nasty red marks for weeks.
Marine biologist Keith Hiscock told The Sun: “For people who are sensitive the sting from some jellyfish can be quite severe and may require emergency care.
“If a sting catches you on the face or the lips it can cause problems, people have gone to hospital in the past from jellyfish stings.”
He added: “Mauve stingers are even worse than Compass jellyfish and give a much nastier sting.
“You wouldn’t want to go anywhere near them with bare feet, their tentacles which sting you are translucent so when they wash up on the beach they are almost invisible.”
Swimmers are more likely to come across a Compass jellyfish rather than a Mauve stinger as they are more common.
A spokesman for the Wildlife Trust said: “Once they have stung something, jellyfish often leave the tentacle behind and can continue to sting using it even when not to connected to their body.”
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