Archive for the 'Jellyfish' Category
Snorkel Days
Hopefully everyone made it out to the beach yesterday. The water was calm and clear… a perfect time to do some snorkeling!
We found all kinds of shells and creatures. Look at this little guy:
We had a few jelly stings, even though we didn’t see any actual jellyfish. Their tentacles can still float around and cause a bit of pain, but sometimes I don’t even notice it until I’m out of the water. Here’s a tip for the jellyfish stings: If you feel a sting, don’t rub it or rinse it with fresh water. These actions will only make the sting worse by activating more nematocysts (poison filled sacs) on the tentacle. I simply try to ignore it and the pain usually stops within 10 minutes or so, but if you feel the need to take action, try using meat tenderizer on the affected area. I’ve personally never done this, but I suppose if I ever get a bad sting I would give it a try. Of course, if you’re feeling severe pain, light hotheadedness, chest pain, or shortness of breath, get yourself to the hospital!
1 commentOne brave kid
Now here is something you wouldn’t catch me doing… this kid was holding onto what I thought to be a Portuguese man-o-war. Now, I’m no ocean-life expert, but I’ve always assumed this action to lead to certain discomfort. If someone is more knowledgeable about what this kid is holding, please comment. I’m curious to know what I’ve been avoiding on my early morning walks down the beach.
4 commentsBlue buttons on Pensacola Beach
Usually when a purple flag is flying over Pensacola Beach, it means one thing: the Jellyfish have arrived! We get a number of species out here, some dangerous, some not, but this one I found very interesting. This is a Blue Button. This isn’t actually a jellyfish, but a Chondrophore that we found and put in a pot from the kitchen just long enough to take pictures of. What you’re looking at isn’t a single animal, rather a colony of small polyps, each performing a different role in the colony.
Although these are quite harmless, they may cause slight skin irritation if touched. Here’s what the top looks like:
2 comments