07/07/2023
For anyone visiting, please be aware!
DRUM JELLYFISH SPOTTED ON ALGARVE BEACHES – THEY STING SO DO NOT TOUCH
The drum jellyfish has been sighted in considerable abundance on many beaches in the Algarve, from Lagos to Vila Real de Santo António. It is a large jellyfish, whose bell can reach 60 centimetres in diameter.
The drum jellyfish was sighted this week more than 120 times "on many beaches" in the Algarve, from Lagos to Vila Real de Santo António, but mainly in the leeward zone, said the IPMA, advising not to touch them.
The IPMA, in a statement on its website, warns that the species Rhizostoma Luteum, known as the drum jellyfish, "has been sighted in considerable abundance on many beaches in the Algarve", and in the last week By June, more than 120 sightings of the species had been received by GelAvista , IPMA's citizen science program.
The occurrence of this species is common on the Portuguese coast, especially in the Algarve, during summer and autumn, these natural cyclical occurrences, associated with the period of its reproduction, explains the IPMA.
The institute considers that the increase in these occurrences must be related to currents and winds that favour the transport of organisms to the beaches.
"It is a large jellyfish, whose bell can reach 60 centimetres in diameter. It is characterized by its short and leafy oral arms, with long dark-coloured appendages at the ends", he explains in the statement.
WHAT TO DO IF STUNG
As the drum jellyfish is considered slightly stinging, the IPMA warns that, in case of direct contact with the skin, ice packs should be applied for about 15 minutes, after washing and cleaning the affected area with sea water.