Plan a “jellyfish sting free” Hawaii vacation with our updated 2020 calendar of Hawaii Jellyfish sting warning dates and suggestions. You may want to keep this information handy when you are looking for cheap flights to Hawaii and the cheapest time to fly to Hawaii.
Jellyfish are fascinating, and are themselves comprised of nearly 95% water. Their needle-like stingers are located on their tentacles. When activated, the stinger shoots into the victim, releasing the venom. This all happens in a millionth of a second.
Jellyfish Sting Tips
Location. South facing Hawaii beaches are most impacted by jellyfish eight days after a full moon. These include Waikiki, Ala Moana Beach Park, Haunama Bay and the Waianae Coast on Oahu. Kauai can have warning signs posted at Poipu Beach. Maui beaches and Big Island beaches are also affected but typically have fewer problems.
Timing and awareness. You’ll usually find jellyfish on impacted beaches eight days following a full moon. The problem can persist for three days. If you’re here during a jellyfish invasion, talk to the lifeguard for advice. Also check the beach to see if any jellyfish are present on the sand.
If you are stung. First, you’ll find some good news below. There is much ongoing research in the area of jellyfish stings, and the University of Hawaii has developed a topical treatment that’s in the works. Jellyfish have long been a problem in Hawaii and they only seem to be getting worse here and globally.
Jellyfish in Hawaii. Here in the islands, jellyfish types seen include the box, moon and lagoon varieties.
2019/2020 Hawaii Jellyfish Sting Warning Dates
While a jellyfish sting can happen at other times, these are the most likely dates when problems may occur. Also be on alert the days immediately preceding and following the caution dates.
2019
September 21 to 23
October 21 to 23
November 20 to 22
December 19 to 21
2020
January 18 to 20
February 16 to 18
March 17 to 19
April 15 to 17
May 15 to 17
June 13 to 15
July 12 to 14
August 11 to 13
September 9 to 11
October 9 to 11
November 8 to 10
December 7 to 9
Jellyfish Treatments and Prevention
Searching online will yield a wide range of suggestions for what to do in the event of a jellyfish sting. Some of the best suggestions we’ve seen include the following:
1. Seek medical attention as soon as possible if in shock or if you have any complications.
2. Rinse the site with vinegar to deactivate the toxins and help remove the remaining tentacles and nematocysts. Others say to wash the area with seawater to deactivate stinging cells. Or you can remove tentacles by scraping with a credit card or other plastic object.
3. Use hot water or ice packs to reduce the pain duration and intensity. Others suggest after removing the tentacles, immerse the affected arm or leg in hot water of 104 to 113°F for at least twenty minutes. If other body parts are impacted, a hot shower can be used instead.
4. Friends recommend and we have been using After Bite itch eraser
5. Read over 100 comments below for others’ recommendations.
Another Point of View From Mayo Clinic.
1. Carefully pluck visible tentacles with a fine tweezers.
2. Soak the skin in hot water. Use water that’s 110 to 113 F (43 to 45 C). If a thermometer isn’t available, test the water on an uninjured person’s hand or elbow — it should feel hot, not scalding. Keep the affected skin immersed or in a hot shower for 20 to 45 minutes.
3. Avoid the following: scraping out stingers, rinsing with seawater, rinsing with human urine, rinsing with fresh water, applying meat tenderizer, applying alcohol, ethanol or ammonia, rubbing with a towel or applying pressure bandages.
Have you been stung by a box jellyfish, and if so, what treatment has been most beneficial?
Beat of Hawaii photo at Waikiki Beach.
Updated 9/12/19.
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Megan B. says
I had a morning swim in Kailua on Sept. 30th. It seemed like the water was a bit rougher and had brought up a lot of broken seaweed and/or algae. I felt a sting on the back of my neck so got out of the water, returned home, and showered. Later that evening my hands began to swell, itch, and felt like pins a needles. My hands have continued to feel this way, with some relief, for 5 days. Anyone have any idea of what may have stung me or had a similar experience? I did some research and think it could be stinging limu, though am not sure.
Merrilea J. says
I was at Kua Bay yesterday 9.22.19 around noon in the water towards the very center of the beach near rocks. I felt burning stinging sensation shooting up and down my arm..couldn’t see what it was at first as I was trying to wipe it off with my other arm thinking a bee had stung me..then I felt burning on both arms and chest. I started to get out of the water until I looked down and on my suit was a golf ball sized blue/purple bubble with what seemed like ONE very very long tentacle going up my chest and wrapped around to my back.i freaked a bit and held my suit out for the wave to crash over me and wash it away..which worked. Quickly I got out. Burning stinging throbbing whip like marks on my arms and chest the pain was very similar to wana.. I ended up putting on some ointment (for bug bites??..I guess?)that somebody on the beach offered to me .. 20 minutes later I chose to go swim on the far right of the beach.. 10 minutes later I feel the same crazy sensation but on my hand when I lifted it out of the water one was wrapped around my pinky and hand. I was able to shake it off. I saw it floating in the water (it had to be the same on I swear it..probably not tho..)floating.. its tentacle was about 2 ft long.. I didnt treat my pinky..I did however google this bizarre looking jellyfish that I encountered..bluebottle jellyfish..aka Portuguese manawar… these may have been baby/juveniles? All I know super painful still is. Very close to how wana feels like I’ve encountered that as well before. Aloha and mohalo
Larry G. says
Can someone refer one or several nice, upscale restaurants in the Princeville-Hanalei area for a double birthday party on Sat. Nov 2? (8 to 10 guests).
It seems that some of the better restaurants in the area have closed, likely due to the flooding last Spring. I would
like to make this evening memorable for two of my grown grandchildren.
Mahalo
Beat of Hawaii says
Hi Larry.
Someone suggested Bar Acuda. You might want to check Yelp.
Aloha.
Haley says
I live on Oahu in the Hauula/ Punaluu area and got stung behind our apartment walking in the water only about a foot deep. I just wasn’t paying attention but there’s a ton all over the beach. It wrapped around my foot pretty good but I got it off with a stick then went inside and ran in under hot water.
Maria says
My family and I went to beautiful Lanikai today. There was a constant onshore breeze My husband was stung on his arm by a blue jellyfish. We didn’t know at the same, but we followed the old maid’s tale of putting urine on it. His was minor and he returned to the water. The kids and I joined him and I was stung by a blue jellyfish as well. The tentacles were so long it reached from my rightside throughout my back and wrapped around my left upper arm. The jelly fish also stuck to the side of me. It wasn’t excruciating, but it was a constant burning sensation I’d rather not experience again. I recommend white vinegar and a hot bath. My right arm felt heavy and off afterwards, and a majority of the pain went away after treatment and a little more than an hour.
On our way back to the car, I noticed a number of dead blue jellies on the beach.
Be careful out there. They say you see one, there’s plemty out there.
Manya says
I was stung today, 8/8/19, at Kua Bay on the Big Island. I was felt a terrible itchy/stinging sensation all over my back, legs, and neck. I was wearing snorkel gear and didn’t see what it was. The lifeguard sprayed me down with vinegar. It took about 45 minutes to settle down a little. I took Benadryl, Zantac, and used cortisone ointment after a hot shower. It quickly calmed down after. I don’t know what it was specially, but the lifeguard did pull a tentacle from my hair. I have a few small whip marks left. Not fun!
Jeff A. says
Was stung while snorkeling at Lanikai beach yesterday, July 20, 2109. We come here annually and everyone has been stung at one time or another. Call it a right of passage:). Honestly, the sting is a burning one, but it’s not unbearable and the BEST solution we have found is a mixture of vinegar and hot water (mostly vinegar). The sting usually lasts about an hour, however if you have an allergic reactions you should definitely seek medical attention immediately. Otherwise, just make sure there are no visible stingers left in the skin, pour a good amount of the vinegar hot water solution, and you should be back up and running within an hour. Note, you most likely will see a bumpy red reaction for a few hours afterward, but know that it will go away rather quickly thereafter. Again, both my kids and all family members, including our friends have been stung. Younger kids have a higher reaction to the sting due to their age, but it shouldn’t impact them for that long. Comfort them and reassure they will be ok. But again, I can’t stress enough that if you have an allergic reaction, seek medical attention immediately. Just as you would for someone allergic to a bee sting. Don’t be afraid of the water. It’s the most amazing world just steps away and enjoy the amazing life that exists there. Respect it, don’t don’t sea turtles if you’re lucky enough to encounter them, however they are majestic to swim with at a safe respectful distance. Aloha!
Beat of Hawaii says
Hi Jeff.
Thanks for your comment!
Aloha.
Kiki D. says
I was stung by a little blue box jelly at Waimanolo Bay on June 18, 2019 (yesterday). The pain was intense, like burning, stabbing shocks. A lot like a tattoo feels! The lifeguard told me it would calm down in about an hour. It was at least 3 hours of intense pain and took 6 hours before it wasn’t at a distracting level. The lifeguard sprayed it with (I assume) vinegar solution. Rinsing it with seawater after actually helped (but only while I was pouring it over my leg). I checked the water carefully for visible tentacles. The hot shower when I got back to the hotel helped much more- it actually felt better while I was in there but as soon as I got out it came back. I had some stomach cramps and some nausea all afternoon and just felt…weird.
We went back to Waimanolo today and the sign was up >_<
Still a beautiful day though, this is truly paradise. Thank you for this forum/article too. We were reading while I sat there burning with neurotoxins on the beach that day.
Maholo!
Maggie R says
The jellyfish in Australia are deadly because they eat a different diet than what they eat in Hawaii. Australia has many deaths. each year. Even with a protective suit for snorkeling, your face, head, neck, hands and feet are exposed. I’d avoid snorkeling in Australia during their Jellyfish season. Best to visit their aquariums and swim in a pool and return home alive! There is a homeopathic remedy called Apis Mellifica that could save your life from a bee sting or spider bite and is easy to carry with you. Many people who are allergic to bee stings and insect bites will react strongly to a jellyfish sting.Increasing Vitamin C can also be helpful to decrease the inflammation. Thanks
Beat of Hawaii says
Hi Maggie.
Thanks.
Aloha.
Syl B says
I was stung by a jellyfish on Aug. 4th, 2019 around 9 AM on Kaanapali beach on the western side of Maui. 10 days later and my arm is itchy, slight burn, and some discharge. I’m going to Urgent care right now. My reaction after being stung: Arm burning, hotel employee sprayed vinegar and had me sit in jacuzzi around 40 min. I had pain, the bottom of my feet started tingling, then my whole body felt weird. I started to get a strange sensation around my jaw and mouth area, almost numbing. I threw up 3 times and the mouth area felt better. Terrible muscle spasms for 2-3 days.
Abe says
I got stung on my swim to Mokolii island right next to Kualoa ranch May 10, 2019. I was stung on my left hand finger, neck, and right armpit area. Armpit got the worse of it. It took about an hour for it to finally calm down and for the pain to be a 2 of 10.
Solution: I used my own body heat to keep it warm. I put on my shirt and didn’t use the sleeve for my right armpit that go stung. I just kept my arm and armpit touching to keep the stung skin warm using body heat. Just be careful about running the stung area with anything.
Emily says
DON’T RINSE WITH FRESH WATER that actually makes it worse! You want to spray with vinegar to deactivate the toxin-releasing barbs, then scrape away the tentacles (use tweezers if you can see them but usually they’re not visible so scraping is the best alternative), then cover with vinegar-soaked bandages.
If you get dizzy, have chest pains, muscle spasms, difficulty breathing, etc. get to a hospital. The toxins can cause anaphylactic shock.
Source: medical clinic in Maui, took a trip there after being stung by a box jelly on the calf, thigh, and forearm.
Judy M says
Maui, Ulua Beach, March 28th and Po’Oleneanna March 31; got stung both times. Especially Ulua. Irritating and awful looking, but don’t have big after affects, like nausea, heart issues, etc…It felt like electrical shocks. Today, I knew exactly what is was.Vinegar, antihistamines, itch cream. My husband says I have ocean war wounds. I hope they don’t leave marks. Still plan to go in water while I am here. I was unlucky.
Norm says
Over New Years scuba diving off Waikiki beach after coming up from a night time unfortunately many box jellyfish were around our boat entrance and another diver kicked one right into my face. They were small though with the body being six inches or so. Stingers actually cut my cheek. Hurt for four days. Made me nauseous all night as well. Maybe in Oahu they aren’t lethal because they are generally too small ? Only hot shower reduced the pain but as soon as I’d get out of shower it would come right back
Neil says
Having experienced the electric shock feeling from jellyfish larvae while snorkeling in Indonesia, I know that jellyfish stings are no joke. While snorkeling in Australia, we learned that folks all wear stingsuits, a lycra garment that covers a person head to toe. These suits completely protect the snorkeler. Now we always recommend them whenever jellyfish might be present.
Dan says
I got stung on Lawa’i Beach on Kaua’i on Sept 25th 2018 (last week). I was snorkeling and all of a sudden felt burning/stinging all over my head (I have a shaved head). I grabbed the jellyfish and threw it so my hand got stung a bit as well. I poured vingar all over my head and also used some cortizone cream. The stinging went away after about an hour. It hurt pretty bad, sort of like a whole bunch of wasp stings all over.
Tania H says
I was stung by a jellyfish on July 7, 2018 while on a boat tour/snorkeling expedition out to Niihau and the Napali Coast. The sting was around and above my ankle. It stung like heck and I felt the poison go up my leg. A little later my chest tightened and I felt like I had extreme heartburn. None of the crew from the ship seemed concerned much and told me to just spray this “solution” they had in a spray bottle on deck. I don’t know what it was but suspect it was probably vinegar. I later went to a doctor on the island of Kawaii but he also was not concerned much and said unless I had an immediate allergic reaction it was no big deal. People in my home state of California say it must not have been a box jellyfish as I would be dead. Still, all the pics I look at on line that resemble what I saw are of box jellyfish. SO what is the deal? You don’t die from a sting of a box jelly, or it wasn’t that type of jellyfish? Would like to know.
Jessica T says
I’ve been doing some research into box jellyfish for an upcoming trip and it looks like there are several varieties with only one or two varieties being deadly. And even with the deadly ones, your chance of survival depends on your size, size of jelly fish, surface area contacted by tentacles. It is true though that if you were going to have a serious reaction it would have been immediate. Death occurs in 5-20 minutes after being stung due to heart failure. So far I haven’t read anything about Hawaii having the deadly variety, so that could account for the crews lack of concern?
David P says
You don’t die from a Box jellyfish sting, it hurts a lot but it is not lethal.
As the Doctor said, “unless you have a serious allergic reaction” you just going to fell the pain!
Maggie r says
You don’t die from a box jellyfish (most of us who live here in Hawaii would be dead if you did!) Not sure if you could possibly die- probably if allergic like with bees…You probably have a small curved “whip” scar if it was a box jelly and the pain might have lasted a few days depending on the severity of the sting… hope this helps!
Meshelle A says
Today on the beach of Waikiki,my family and I had a morning swim and during the swim my daughter complained of itchiness I did not take notice brushed it off thought it might be ocean fleas,then I started itching ,again thought it was fleas,then a hour went by went on swimming.Then all of a sudden a burning sensation goes all over my arm my back my face I screamed yelled try to take off this jelly like thing,then I finally make it to shore the lifeguard starts running to me sprays vineagar,tells me you be okay will go away in fifteen min,Im crying shaking almost passed out,walked away and all I could here was it’s confirmed jelly fish in water put the sign up,I was so furious thanks kinda too late your sign.Next time I hope and pray for better precautions from lifeguards.Thank you for the Vinegar! Much Mahalos Excurciating Civilian