Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Warning as hundreds of jellyfish wash up on coast amid heatwave
Beach-goers are being warned to stay vigilant as huge numbers of jellyfish have been spotted on the coast amid the heatwave.
Hundreds of the sea creatures have washed up in Whitstable and Herne Bay as temperatures soared over the past week.
Meanwhile, along the coast in Margate, a species of jellyfish with a “nasty” sting has been pictured in the waters.
In Herne Bay, Marie Hammies saw dozens of clear jellyfish washed up on the beach at Hampton last week. They are believed to be moon jellyfish, which carry only a mild sting.
“A lady had came out from swimming saying there were
just too many jellyfish for her to feel safe,” said Marie.
“As soon as she said that I instantly noticed them ashore. There must have been around 100 washed up, amongst the seaweed.
“As I began to look out at sea, you could see them in the waves.
“I don’t really know much about them, and retreated away. I did warn other dog owners, as most dogs like to swim and I didn’t want to risk any getting hurt.”
On Friday, more jellyfish were photographed around the coast in Whitstable, with one man describing “30 on one small section of beach”.
One resident said: “We have hundreds of jellies in Whitstable this week.”
Another woman said: “I went swimming yesterday and there were quite a few around me.
“I didn’t get stung but I really don’t like swimming around jellyfish so won’t be in swimming whilst there are so many.”
Canterbury city councillor Ashley Clark says he encountered “large numbers” of jellyfish while swimming off Seasalter.
The rising numbers have been linked to several factors, including overfishing and climate change. Unlike many creatures, they can thrive in warmer waters with low oxygen.
Meanwhile, in Thanet, photographer
and marine wildlife enthusiast Rebecca Douglas is warning people - particularly those with children - to take care amid several reports of swimmers being stung.
Rebecca has found “more than a dozen” compass jellyfish around Walpole Bay Tidal Pool, in Margate, where she regularly swims and photographs.
“They are hidden within the seaweed and become stranded when the tide goes out,” she explained.
“The sting on the compass jelly is said to be a nasty one, so really take care in that seaweed, especially with your small people.”
Compass jellyfish are a translucent yellowish-white, and notable for their brown markings.
Ms Douglas, 38, from Ramsgate, added: “It feels like we’re seeing more jellyfish year on year. They’re able to thrive in areas that they’ve never survived.
“The concern is if more [poisonous] jellyfish can come to our waters and thrive - like the box jellyfish found in Australia - it could make our waters really quite a dangerous place to be.”
Paul Hadaway, director of conservation charity Kent Wildlife Trust, adds that it is “not unusual” to see jellyfish stranded on beaches in large numbers.
“They tend to follow the current and a strong onshore wind can force them onto beaches,” he explained.
“They sometimes travel in big groups known as blooms and, in the event of a strong onshore wind, high numbers can become stranded.
“This is most likely to happen in the spring and the summer due to a population increase at these times. In the winter, the sunlight levels drop resulting in less plankton and they will move into deeper water to survive.”
Prints of the jellyfish photographs taken by Ms Douglas are available to buy at her website https://printshop.rebeccadouglas.co.uk/art/walpolebay.
Anyone can report a jellyfish sighting via the Marine Conservation Society’s website.
For more information on how to identify jellyfish species, visit the MCS website.
The sting on the compass jellyfish is said to be a nasty one, so really take care in that seaweed, especially with your small people...