Posted on: Tuesday, July 13, 2004
Jellyfish invasion hits bathers hard
By James Gonser
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer
The monthly jellyfish invasion is over, but not before hundreds of beachgoers suffered stings from a very large influx of the marine creatures, according to city lifeguards.
Andrew Shimabuku • The Honolulu Advertiser "We got severely smacked (Sunday)," Miller said.
The influx of box jellyfish occurs nine or 10 days after a full moon and usually lasts for three days.
"The primary watch period is from eight to 12 days after a full moon," Miller said. "The ninth and 10th are almost guaranteed."
Landy Blair, who does statistical studies for the Ocean Safety Division, said the arrival of jellyfish is tied to their spawning cycle.
Sunday's influx, while large, was not the worst Blair has seen.
• When box jellyfish are around, it's best to stay out of the water. For other stings, Craig Thomas and Susan Scott's "All Stings Considered" advises you to see a doctor if it's severe, if there is an allergic reaction, or if an infection, swelling or other complications arise. • For Portuguese man-of-war stings, pick off visible tentacles with a gloved hand or stick, then rinse with salt or fresh water to remove tentacles. Apply ice for pain. Use hydrocortisone ointment and/or diphenhydramine for persistent itching. • If you do find yourself on the business end of a box jellyfish sting, immediately douse the area with copious amounts of white vinegar to keep undischarged nematocytes from "firing" to prevent further stings. Don't rub the area and don't use hot water, which can cause the nematocytes to fire more. Use ice to relieve pain. (Popular local remedies like alcohol, meat tenderizer and urine do not work and may in fact be harmful.) • Safe Sea, a combination sunscreen and jellyfish sting preventative, is available at McCully Bicycle, Twogood Kayaks, Naish Hawaii, Go Banana, the Running Room, Longs Drugs in Kahala, Kaimuki and Kailua, Kalapawai Market and other outdoor and recreation stores. By midday yesterday, only 43 were found, signifying this influx is almost over, he said.
By today the water should be 99 percent free of jellyfish, Blair said.
Lifeguards advise swimmers to stay out of the water when jellyfish are present, but an alternative is to coat yourself in a sunscreen that also works as a jellyfish sting preventative.
Safe Sea, available in Hawai'i for about two years, promises protection by inhibiting the mechanism of the stinging cells from the stings of jellyfish, fire coral and other types of stinging marine life.
Linda Moran, vice president of Blue Water Sports Supply, the Hawai'i distributor of Safe Sea, said the product retails for $12.95 and has been slowly growing in popularity locally.
"It's like a mosquito repellent for the water," Moran said. "When I take the kids hiking, I buy mosquito spray. This is just for the water. You are not immune, but if you are stung, it is not so bad."
John Enomoto, manager of Go Banana, said the product has proved popular with kayakers, who often encounter the stinging creatures in the open ocean.
"We pick (jellyfish) up with our paddles and the wind blows them across your body," Enomoto said. "I'm used to grabbing and yanking them out."
Staff writer Mary Kaye Ritz contributed to this report. Reach James Gonser at jgonser@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2431.
In Waikiki, 318 people were stung by box jellyfish Sunday along with 21 people at Hanauma Bay, two at Ala Moana Beach and 22 on the Leeward Coast, said Rob Miller, with the city's Ocean Safety Division. None of the victims required hospitalization, he said.
Signs remained posted yesterday at Waikiki Beach warning swimmers about the presence of box jellyfish. There was a smaller influx yesterday in Waikiki after 318 people were stung Sunday.
Blair said in a control area on Waikiki Beach in front of the Pacific Beach Hotel, typically about 250 jellyfish will be found on average during an influx, but in the same area Sunday a total of 743 were found on the beach and in the water.
Stinging things
