Jellyfish: It Can Even Happen Here
Feb 24, 2009
2 Comments
Late last week, I had quite a surprise instead of an intended swim, when I found Kauai’s Salt Pond Beach closed due to jellyfish. This is the first time I can ever remember Salt Pond being impacted by jellyfish. The lifeguard told me that he had counted over 500 of them that day.
Jellyfish are prominent on Oahu’s Waikiki and Ala Moana beaches, among others, but are far less often seen on Kauai, Maui and the Big Island.
I went for a walk instead.
Yuck!! Be careful with your walk too – my husband and I were at Hapuna Beach (north of Kona) and the water was closed for swimming due to man-of-war. My brother-in-law threw caution to the wind and went swimming anyway. He had no problems. My husband and I listened to the lifeguard, and went for a walk on the beach. One jellyfish washed up on the shore and wrapped itself around my husband’s ankle! So be careful on your walk!!
I just read your jellyfish post. When I lived on the Big Island 30 years ago (how can that be possible – 30 years ago !) there were frequent jellyfish stings at Hapuna Beach, which of course had no hotel on it back then. There was talk of urinating on the sting to make the burn go away….maybe that was for when you stepped on sea urchin spines ? I can’t remember. Anyhow, the jellyfish have been around for a long time, but maybe not in such high concentrations as you mentioned in your post. I have seen jellyfish beached on the north shore of Oahu and on the beaches of Kauai. Wish I was there right now.
take care
a grateful reader