October, also referred to as “Sharktober” for beachgoers on the west coast and Hawaiian Islands, is the perfect time to illuminate just how many other ocean animals can pose a threat to your perfect day at the beach. Having a fear of shark attacks is extremely common, but I find that the looming threat of an unexpected jellyfish sting in the water can be just as haunting.
Not everything that stings you in the ocean is your run-of-the-mill jellyfish. Keep reading to learn about various sea stingers that pack a painful punch.
Portuguese Man o’ War
Often confused for jellyfish, the Portuguese man o’ war resembles electric blue bubbles or floating balloons with long tentacles – and we’re talking long. Some have reported sightings of tentacles reaching a horrifying length of 165 feet. The good news is that Portuguese man o’ war are not typically deadly to humans and are not swimming to the beat of their own drum; in fact, their patterns can largely be predicted based on winds and currents, which often dictate how often they make appearances close to shore. The bad news? A sting by these striking critters can be excruciatingly painful and leave lasting marks.
According to the National Ocean Service, a Portuguese man o’ war is, “…a species of siphonophore, a group of animals that are closely related to jellyfish. A siphonophore is unusual in that it is comprised of a colony of specialized, genetically identical individuals called zooids – clones – with various forms and functions, all working together as one. Each of the four specialized parts of a man o’ war is responsible for a specific task such as floating, capturing prey, feeding and reproduction.”
Where do you need to watch for man o’ war in the water? Sadly, beaches along the east coast and Florida have had their fair share of man o’ war sightings, in addition to the Caribbean sea. Windward facing beaches in the Hawaiian Islands see more man o’ war than leeward beaches due to an increase in wind and ocean currents bringing them into shore and stinging unsuspecting vacationers and locals. If you take a walk along the shore and see a few of these washed up on the sand, it’s a safe bet to skip swimming that day. Happen to get stung? Lifeguards often suggest treating stings with a vinegar rinse, over-the-counter pain medication and removing any tentacles stuck to the skin with a credit card or tweezers to avoid direct contact with your hands.
Stingrays
When I traveled to Costa Rica in February, I was gaining confidence in not getting stung by jellyfish and was beginning to brave the Pacific waves close to shore more and more throughout the week. It wasn’t until a guided tour with a local when I learned that jellyfish at Jaco Beach were the least of my worries.
Apparently, stingray stings are common along many Pacific facing beaches in Costa Rica – Jaco Beach being one of them – and ignorance was bliss for me up until that point. Although many think of the late and fearless Steve Irwin when stingrays come to mind, getting stung by a stingray is much easier than you would think – and doesn’t even require any swimming. In fact, Southern California has been named the stingray capital of the world (according to ABC7 Los Angeles) with lifeguards encouraging beachgoers to use the “stingray shuffle” to decrease the likelihood of a painful, day-ruining stingray barb to the ankle.
Since stingrays can be quite stealthy, you don’t even have to be knee deep in the ocean or even see one coming to feel their wrath. Stingrays burrow under the sand, making it easy for beachgoers easing themselves into the ocean to unsuspectingly step on one along the way. Once stepped on, stingrays instinctively and defensively attack with their barb, which can leave wounds vulnerable to infection and often brings victims intense pain if not treated properly with a hot water soak and continued medical care (when necessary).
The “stingray shuffle” is considered a safer method of entering the ocean by shuffling or sliding your feet in the sand as you walk rather than lifting your feet and taking full steps. Through studies, scientists have found that brushing up against a sand-buried stingray with your feet while shuffling is more likely to scare them away, whereas stepping directly on top of a stingray is more likely to incite an instinctive attack. In other words, think twice before freely frolicking in the ocean, or at least be prepared for a surprising sharp pain when throwing caution to the wind.
