Florida beach overrun by invasion of thousands of jellyfish

July 6, 2011 – FLORIDA  – In all my years of beaching it in northern Volusia county, I’ve never seen an invasion of jellyfish, also known as sea jellies, quite like what filled the surf and littered the beach shoreline in Ormond on Saturday. Looking like glass medallions twinkling in the afternoon sun, the jellies stretched by the thousands in northern Volusia, up to Ormond-By-The-Sea. More than 2,000 visitors countywide reported being stung according to Volusia County Beach Patrol. Most of the jellyfish I observed were the common Sea Nettle, with an occasional Cannonball jellyfish. It’s the second consecutive holiday weekend in Florida that we’ve faced a jellyfish incursion; Memorial Day weekend saw a rare, massive influx of thousands of Mauve Stinger jellyfish, a non-indigenous, stinging purple variety, covering beaches in Brevard County. The arrival of the Fourth of July weekend jellyfish invasion is being blamed on strong, onshore winds and favorable currents. –Orlando Sentinel

TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (AP) — Authorities say 894 people were stung by jellyfish during the Fourth of July holiday weekend on Tybee Island, off the Georgia coast. Tybee Ocean Rescue Lt. Hunter Robinson says he thinks the number of attacks is unusual for this time of year at the popular tourist destination near Savannah. Robinson tells WSAV-TV the high number of victims might be because the water in the area heated up quickly this year, compared to previous years. –ActionNewsJax

contribution Warren & TTB