Jellyfish

I took these pictures two months ago, but they were on my phone and I am slow at sharing those.  This was our first exposure to jellyfish.  There were hundreds of them.  There were jellyfish warning flags along the beach, but a few people were still swimming.  One grandma (French I think) was very adept at catching them without touching the tentacles and plopping them on the sand for her grandkids and then our small crew of kids, after her grandkids got bored with them.

My crew was fascinated and a little disgusted by them, but ended up catching dozens of their own.  They would keep them in a bucket and then release them.  In the process they all got stung at least once.  Good thing we don't have the deadly kind around here.  It feels a bit like stinging nettle.  It leaves a red mark for about an hour.  Rubbing sand on it is supposed to help it feel better faster.  Apparently vinegar is best, but peeing on the stings works too.  I can't say we tried anything but sand.

This is Makenna's leg.  She got the first sting.  The red mark is the faint vertical line on the back side of her leg.

Makenna, Isaac, Jess and Elaine.

We have seen occasional jellies most days we go to the beach, but not in the hoards we saw that first day.  And never enough to warrant warming flags.  Isaac got his biggest sting while kayaking with the young men, or should I say pushing each other out of kayaks with the young men.