Swimmers on Alert, as Millions of Jellyfish Head Towards Israeli Coast

As part of their annual pilgrimage, millions of jellyfish are heading toward Israel’s coast, whose presence naturally disappoints the tourists and also to all tourism-related businesses. Lifeguards at work in the Israel coast have already started warning swimmers to take precautions and to follow the latest treatment guidelines in order to minimize discomfort.

The problem of intruding jellyfish is not restricted to the Israeli coast, which has seen a significant increase in the number and duration of jellyfish in recent times. Around the world, according to an estimate, 150 million people are stung by jellyfish and each year hundreds of them suffer fatally. By being informed and proactive the travelers can minimize jellyfish encounters and handle them better if they occur.

To understand jellyfish, one must first understand that they are not fish. They are graceful bell-shaped marine invertebrates with tentacles, which is full of stinging cells and that help them to catch prey and ward off predators. Fossils reveal that the Jellyfish have been around for more than 500 million years. They are very closely related to the corals and sea anemones and are found in all the oceans and seas.

Although the scientists lack the data and reason to prove why the global jellyfish population is increasing day by day. Some are of the view that warming seas allow jellyfish to expand their habitats and also overfishing of their predators helps increase in their population, are some of the factors. 

Another reason for the increasing population of Jellyfish is the nonnative jellyfish were being deposited in other species waters by ships or ocean currents. According to Bella Galil of Tel Aviv University, “The Mediterranean is the most invaded sea in the world, with five invasive jellyfish species”. She also adds that, these particular jellies are making their way from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal. 

Jellyfish can anyway be a threat to vacationers. Jellyfish venom contains cocktails of toxins that help them to paralyze and digest their prey, but they also cause pain and tissue destruction in humans.

Most jellyfish stings though do not lead to systemic reactions and resolve over a few hours, although they can be extremely painful. Some stings result in rashes that can last for weeks. But in a small percentage of cases, jellyfish stings are fatal. According to Angel Yanagihara, a biochemist who studies jellyfish venom at the University of Hawaii says, “more people die from jellyfish stings than from shark attacks”.

In the Philippines, an estimated 100 to 500 people, most of them children and residents of remote fishing villages, die of jellyfish stings annually, according to a research conducted by Yanagihara and her colleagues. 

So, it is better to adopt safety measures. According to the latest first aid protocol, two important steps must be taken as soon as a Jellyfish stings. First, immediately rinse the place with vinegar, it prevents a sting from getting worse because it stops additional venom from entering the skin. The second measure is to soak the area in skin-safe hot water for 20 to 45 minutes. Doing so one can hold the venom already injected into the skin and ease the pain. Applying fresh water, baking soda or ice can aggravate the problem.