‘Jellyfish bloom’ in effect at South Padre Island
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Visitors taking a walk along the South Padre Island shoreline have reported seeing the beach dotted with many jellyfish.
Melissa Fryatt was among those unlucky enough to get stung. She described what she felt as a sharp pain on her leg.
“I brushed it away and then it came back toward me and touched my other leg,” Fryatt said.
Fryatt was likely stung by a moon jellyfish, which is the species of jellyfish most beachgoers have reported seeing.
Experts with the Gladys Porter Zoo said the sight of hundreds of jellyfish washing ashore is a normal occurrence.
Kat Thompson-Hawk is the zoo's curator of aquatics, and referred to the occurrence as a jellyfish bloom. She said this happens when the creatures develop into adults.
“Then when we have the onshore wind and the currents, and then when that is paired with high tides, that is how we end up all of those jellyfish landmines all over the beaches,” Thompson-Hawk said.
Moon jellyfish are safe to touch, and their sting can be mildly irritating. Thompson-Hawk suggests using warm water and vinegar to help with a sting.
Another type of jellyfish that has been spotted along the beach is the “pink meany.” Thompson-Hawk said they are larger than the moon jellyfish, and their sting is stronger.
"[They have a] beautiful pink color, they prey on the moon jellies and it's a rare thing to see them, but they are here in the Gulf," Thompson-Hawk said.
But the risk of a sharp sting isn't enough to scare people away. Even after feeling the pain firsthand, Fryatt said she plans to head back into the water.
“Oh yeah, I'm going back out there,” Fryatt said.
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