Jellyfish Stings Do's &Don'ts

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Jellyfish are one of my favorite sea creatures. Here’s why.

Although they are truly primitive creatures - not having eyes, a heart, or even a brain- they can still make humans take notice of their presence.

But are jellyfish searching out humans to sting? Not at all.

Jellyfish sometimes follow their main food source- microscopic creatures, called plankton- closer to the shore where they get caught in strong currents and pulled to were swimmers typically wade.

Unfortunately, interactions between humans and jellyfish are not always pleasant ones. Their tentacles can cause a painful sting- even death with some species.

Remedies for jellyfish sting can be quite controversial among scientists and are ever-changing as more research is being done, but here are some definite DON'TS:

Don't use urine. Depending on if you're dehydrated or what you ate, components in the urine can make the stinging worse.
Don't scrape or use sand to scrub off tentacles. Scrubbing or rubbing can apply more pressure to the stinging cells, causing them to release more venom.
Don't use ice. Ice can preserve the venom and prolong the pain.

Using saltwater is currently recommended by our San Diego lifeguards and there is a paper from a toxin scientist at the University of Hawaii that recommends the three-step process below:

(NOTE- this study was conducted on a different species of jellyfish than what we have, but was recommended for all stings)

1. Douse with vinegar. This will deactivate the stinging cells.
2. Pluck tentacles (if present) off with tweezers. Again, scraping and rubbing can cause more stinging cells to fire.
3. Apply heat.

**Some jellyfish stinging cells can still activate even if the jellyfish is dead. Don't mess with any jellyfish that have been washed ashore.

Being the biggest doesn’t always mean you are invincible when living in the ocean. Check out this lion’s mane jelly (largest jellyfish species in the world) get taken down by a colony of golf-ball sized sea anemones.

Jellyfish are one of my favorite sea creatures. Here’s why.

Although they are truly primitive creatures - not having eyes, a heart, or even a brain- they can still make humans take notice of their presence.

But are jellyfish searching out humans to sting? Not at all.

Jellyfish sometimes follow their main food source- microscopic creatures, called plankton- closer to the shore where they get caught in strong currents and pulled to were swimmers typically wade.

Unfortunately, interactions between humans and jellyfish are not always pleasant ones. Their tentacles can cause a painful sting- even death with some species.

Remedies for jellyfish sting can be quite controversial among scientists and are ever-changing as more research is being done, but here are some definite DON'TS:

Don't use urine. Depending on if you're dehydrated or what you ate, components in the urine can make the stinging worse.

Don't scrape or use sand to scrub off tentacles. Scrubbing or rubbing can apply more pressure to the stinging cells, causing them to release more venom.

Don't use ice. Ice can preserve the venom and prolong the pain.

Using saltwater is currently recommended by our San Diego lifeguards and there is a paper from a toxin scientist at the University of Hawaii that recommends the three-step process below:

(NOTE- this study was conducted on a different species of jellyfish than what we have, but was recommended for all stings)

1. Douse with vinegar. This will deactivate the stinging cells.

2. Pluck tentacles (if present) off with tweezers. Again, scraping and rubbing can cause more stinging cells to fire.

3. Apply heat.

**Some jellyfish stinging cells can still activate even if the jellyfish is dead. Don't mess with any jellyfish that have been washed ashore.

Being the biggest doesn’t always mean you are invincible when living in the ocean. Check out this lion’s mane jelly (largest jellyfish species in the world) get taken down by a colony of golf-ball sized sea anemones.