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ARCHIVED - Something fishy: Spain warns tourists about increase of stinging sea creatures
Several beachgoers in Spain have already received painful stings from Portuguese man o'war jellyfish
The Spanish authorities have warned tourists to be on the lookout for stinging jellyfish as a huge number of Portuguese man o'war (Physalia physalis) were washed up on the beaches over the Easter weekend thanks to the blustery weather.
So great was the influx in the Canary Islands that Las Palmas had no choice but to raise the red flags between the beaches of La Puntilla and Peña La Vieja for two days, and for three days at Cícer. Before the shore was blocked off, 20 people were treated for jellyfish stings, 12 at La Cícer beach alone.
Although the sting of the man o'war is rarely fatal to humans, it does pack a particularly painful punch and the throbbing blisters and welts usually remain on the skin for several hours. For an unlucky few, the sting can result in anaphylactic shock, symptoms of which include dizziness, vomiting and shortness of breath.
This jellyfish is especially difficult to avoid when swimming, since its tendrils can measure up to 165 feet in length and drift lazily behind it under the surface of the water. The Portuguese man o'war’s tendrils are designed to paralyse and kill its prey and are covered with venomous nematocysts.
During the summer of 2022 Lanzarote’s Security and Emergency Services reported a “significant number” of the Portuguese man o'war. Each year, the coastal authorities across Spain set up nets to keep the jellyfish from travelling too close to shore or issue warning notices of their presence to bathers.
Also of interest: What to do if you get stung by a jellyfish and does pee really work?
Image: Pixabay
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