Wildlife experts are warning folks wanting to take a dip in back bays on the Jersey Shore that they may not be alone – there could be clinging jellyfish in the water.
Clinging jellyfish are small jellyfish that usually measure about one inch, according to New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection.
They are typically found in bays and estuaries, the department said.
The mostly transparent jellyfish typically have a reddish-orange or yellow cross in the center of their bodies, as well as 60 to 80 short and long tentacles with nematocysts or stinging cells, the department said.
Paul Bologna is a marine biologist at Montclair State University and said the jellyfish aren’t found on beaches, so he doesn’t want to scare anyone from going to the beach.
They are commonly found from May all the way through June in back bay areas of New Jersey.
“Normally in July, what happens is temperatures get pretty high,” he told USA TODAY. “We have other jellies in the bays that come and eat them so we tend to sort of see them slacking off, but in places like Connecticut and Rhode Island where the water doesn’t get that warm, at least on a regular basis, they deal with these all summer long.”
They’ve also been reported at Mumford Cove in Connecticut, Massachusetts, as well as in Rhode Island.
What will happen to me if I am stung by a clinging jellyfish?
Bologna said people who are stung by clinging jellyfish often experience “excruciating pain” and compared it to a charley horse on your whole body.
Despite their small size, the jellyfish have “really powerful paralysis toxins inside them” that lead to muscle cramps, he said.
Oftentimes, people are stung and don’t feel it until hours later because it takes time for the paralysis toxins to get through their systems.
Normally when people get jellyfish stings, they experience a lot of intense pain and then it subsides, he said. It’s the reverse with clinging jellyfish.
“(The pain is) there and then over time, it begins to build,” Bologna said. “That’s where people … four or five hours later are in excruciating pain.”
He once met a man in Connecticut who was stung and complained of chest pains. Those around him thought he was having a heart attack but when they took him to the hospital, they realized he had been stung, he said.
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What should I do if a clinging jellyfish stings me?
Bologna said it’s a good idea to carry a product called Sting No More, created by Angel Yanagihara from the University of Hawaii.
If you can’t get your hands on that, try grabbing some white vinegar and spraying it on the site of the sting, he said.
“This is good for generic jellyfish encounters to begin with,” he said. “What that does is it sort of neutralizes any stinging cells that have not fired off.”
Once you’ve done that, rinse yourself off with water that you were already in, he said.
While most people would probably assume it’s best to rinse with bottled water, it’s not, Bologna said. Using bottled water or freshwater will cause the stinging cells to burst, creating more stings.
Once you’ve rinsed off with the water you were already in, wipe down with a clean towel and then use “a really hot compress, as hot as you can do it, because it helps detoxify or denature the proteins, which is what toxins and venoms are.”
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What can I do to prevent being stung by one of these jellyfish?
It’s best to be aware of your surroundings and know that these stings are possible, the marine biologist said.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection keeps an updated map of where clinging jellyfish have been spotted and there is also a group at www.tinyurl.com/JFSpotters where people can post their photos and ask questions about jellyfish, Bologna said.
