Beach Walks with Dr. Joe Sorry, But its Sea Wasp Season I have to admit it. I’ve been dreading my August article because I don’t like talking about bad news. But if it’s August on Tybee, we need to consider jellyfish. From my experience, early and mid August are the peak times for jellyfish stings around here. The problem is the Sea Wasp Jellyfish. They peak in abundance at this time. But it’s not just here. I know from painful personal experience they will be on SC and FL beaches now also. They are a type of box jelly, or cube jelly, 26 TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | AUG 2017 By Dr. Joe Richardson which are known for painful stings. With a Sea Wasp, there is no guessing if you’ve contacted a tentacle. It’s not just an irritation like some jellyfish cause. It’s a real sting. And it’s going to hurt for a few minutes. And it’s going to leave a mark. And for me, it’s then going to itch for a few days. Sea Wasp jellies are clear, so you don’t see them in the water. The main body has 4 hand-like extensions at the bottom, and from those “fingers” extend long, thin, hair-like tentacles. So when it is drifting in the water, those tentacles spread out, and it’s “sphere of influence” can extend out a couple of feet or more. And the tentacles of dead ones washed up on the beach can still fire off, so you don’t want to handle them either. Well, what about treating a sting? I’m afraid I’m not going to be much help. Just a few weeks ago, a pediatrician contacted me and asked me to help as he was preparing a presentation for a medical convention regarding summer time stings and bites, and he needed information about our southeastern jellyfish. In turn, I was hoping to find out from a medical professional, what really are the best ways for treating jellyfish stings. I’m afraid his conclusion was the same as mine. There are a lot of suggestions but nothing conclusive. Treatments include vinegar, seawater, ammonia, meat tenderizer, and other substances. My son claims cold coca-cola is as good as anything! But probably as good as anything is baking soda paste and then something like Benadryl or hydrocortisone cream. No matter what, the stinging will last for a while (20-30 minutes for me anyway). I will mention that I’ve had some success with a product called Safe Sea. It’s a lotion that you apply before getting in the water. According to the manufacturer, it contains a substance derived from Clown Fish that keeps them from being stung by Sea Anemones. From my experience, it doesn’t keep me from getting stung, but the sting doesn’t seem to be as intense. Again, I apologize for having to spend this month’s article discussing an unpleasant animal, but I’m afraid that August is when Sea Wasps are most abundant around here. Hopefully your only encounter with them will be seeing one washed up on the sand while you are beachcombing and finding more pleasant treasures. Dr. Joe Richardson is a retired marine science professor with 35+ years of research and teaching experience along GA and the southeastern coast and Bahamas. Besides research, he conducts Tybee Beach Ecology Trips year round (www.TybeeBeachEcology.com) and frequently posts pictures of what they are finding on his Tybee Beach Ecology Trips Facebook page.
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