UK Coastline Attacked by Toxic Jellyfish
Helen YoungIt now appears that hundreds of giant venomous jellyfish have turned up at the Cornish coast in their search for food. These Lion’s Mane jellyfish, or the Cyanea capillata, have a sting which can cause muscle paralysis, which normally leads to suffocation or heart attack. This is bad news for an already struggling tourism industry.
This swarm of jellyfish was first discovered by diver Andy Pearson. During one dive he found himself surrounded by more than 200 of these very deadly jellyfish. He had been looking for basking sharks at Sennen Cove, Coverack Cove, and Kynance Cove in southern Cornwall.
Pearson also noted that he saw groups of the small and rarer blue jellyfish. Although these jellyfish are smaller, they pack quite a nasty sting as well. Although he described the overall sight as spectacular, he went on to warn fellow divers and swimmers of the danger.
Mr Pearson said that, usually, there will be one or two of these jellyfish. However, this time they were literally everywhere in the water. It was a spectacular, yet worrying, sight. Swimmers need to be careful because the Lion’s Mane can give a potent sting.
Ruth Williams, from the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said that it is unusual to get them in such a massive swarm like the UK is seeing in Cornwall. She warned as well that swimmers must be careful and should stay well clear of their trailing tentacles.
One spokesman for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution said that they were aware of the growing danger and advised beach users to take care. The Lion’s Mane is one of the largest species of jellyfish. Although the sting itself is not lethal, their tentacles are covered in stinting cells which can cause blisters and severe muscular cramps. This often affects the respiratory system and, of course, heart functions.
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Filed under Health & Environment, Travel News, UK News