Is it just me or are there more jellyfish in the water this year? I think I'd only been stung once before in my life, but this year I'm getting stung almost every time I enter the water.

I must have crashed into a swarm of them today - whole body was stinging and I could see the tenticles tangled in my lines like spider-webs.

Blue bottles i suspect. Had them last year after a NorthWester. Not so many this time. They are not jellyfish so vinegar will be pointless. Just got to take the pain which subsides in an hour or so.

... not sure of Blue bottles or other jellies, but I watched a Discovery doco on box jelly fish and they see and can distinguish colours. In the doco they tested it by putting a box jelly fish in tank and put two rods in and when rods a black colour, would swim around them, when white, swim right up to them and when red, it would swim into the corner of tank and stay there. They figured, when black its similar to mangroves so swim and manouver around the object, when white its like fish so a bit of food, go get it. When they see red, it must be danger so swim away. Oh, and they can swimm very very fast too. They tracked one and it swam the same speed as a long distance swimmer.

Lucky for us, when its on conditions (wind and waves etc), the box jellies nic off, too rough and would get mashed up so were ok to ride with no stinger suit but if its calm for a few day, watchout!

I reckon the extra jellies in Perth is a result of the warm water pushed down by the cyclone recently (Narelle).

cheers for now,

Robbie

Dude's already posted info here;

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/Western-Australia/Perth-stingers-jellyfish/

doggie said...

Triggerhappy said...
Blue bottles i suspect. Had them last year after a NorthWester. Not so many this time. They are not jellyfish so vinegar will be pointless. Just got to take the pain which subsides in an hour or so.

Cold water helps.

The current first aid recommended by lifeguards etc is to get water as hot as you can handle running over it.

Same as with cobblers and a few other nasty pricks that like to prick or sting.

airhead said...

Dawn Patrol said...

doggie said...

Triggerhappy said...
Blue bottles i suspect. Had them last year after a NorthWester. Not so many this time. They are not jellyfish so vinegar will be pointless. Just got to take the pain which subsides in an hour or so.

Cold water helps.

The current first aid recommended by lifeguards etc is to get water as hot as you can handle running over it.

Same as with cobblers and a few other nasty pricks that like to prick or sting.

Yep, logic is to try and coagulate the proteins in the toxin with heat I believe..

Maybe a different jellyfish in QLD, it was blue and hurt like hell. Cold stubbie on the welt helped alot. I didnt see the jelly just the tenticle as it wrapped around my hand. Oh the pain

airhead said...

Dawn Patrol said...

doggie said...

Triggerhappy said...
Blue bottles i suspect. Had them last year after a NorthWester. Not so many this time. They are not jellyfish so vinegar will be pointless. Just got to take the pain which subsides in an hour or so.

Cold water helps.

The current first aid recommended by lifeguards etc is to get water as hot as you can handle running over it.

Same as with cobblers and a few other nasty pricks that like to prick or sting.

Yep, logic is to try and coagulate the proteins in the toxin with heat I believe..

i have used vinegar on blue bottles many times and it works. it is one of the best treatments out there for any sting. try before you denie