Portuguese man of war jellyfish have appeared on local beaches. Do not touch them, they are extremely dangerous and their sting is excruciatingly painful.
Coinciding with a few weeks of prolonged heat in the province, and with the occupation of the beaches by the first bathers, the Portuguese caravels have begun to arrive on the Alicante shore during late April and early May.
Sightings have been verified on the coasts of El Campello, La Vila and Dénia. It is likely that they could invade the rest of the coast,” and particularly in coves that have little water renewal, where they tend to linger longer .
The stinging, venom-filled nematocysts in the tentacles of the Portuguese man o’ war can paralyze small fish and other prey. Detached tentacles and dead specimens (including those that wash up on shore) can sting just as painfully as the live organism in the water and may remain potent for hours or even days after the death of the organism or the detachment of the tentacle.
Stings usually cause severe pain to humans, leaving whip-like, red welts on the skin that normally last two or three days after the initial sting, though the pain should subside after about 1 to 3 hours (depending on the biology of the person stung). However, the venom can travel to the lymph nodes and may cause symptoms that mimic an allergic reaction including swelling of the larynx, airway blockage, cardiac distress, and an inability to breathe (though this is not due to a true allergy, which is defined by serumIgE). Other symptoms can include fever and shock, and in some extreme cases, even death, although this is extremely rare. Medical attention for those exposed to large numbers of tentacles may become necessary to relieve pain or open airways if the pain becomes excruciating or lasts for more than three hours, or breathing becomes difficult. Instances where the stings completely surround the trunk of a young child are among those that have the potential to be fatal.
Mind your pets as well please.”
The is an app available that tracks the presence of jellyfish. You can check it before you leave to head for a beach. Click the photo below for more details.
