Ocean Care Solutions Logo: Marine Sting Treatments  
Ocean Care Solutions provides effective, medically supported First-aid pain relief products for marine stings including the Portuguese Man O War, Stingray, Sea Urchin, Fire Coral, Lionfish, and a variety of jellyfish sting injuries. 
Ocean Care Solutions Jellyfish Sting First Aid solution

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moon jellyfish | Aurelia aurita

Moon Jellyfish -Click for more pictures and info.

cannonball jellyfish | Stomolophus meleagris

Cannonball Jellyfish (aka Cabbagehead) -Click for more pictures and info.

Portuguese man-of-war | Physalia physalis

Portuguese Man-of-War -Click for more pictures and info.

sea nettle jellyfish | Chrysaora quinquecirrha

Sea Nettle Jellyfish -Click for more pictures and info.

blue button jellyfish | Porpita porpita

Blue button jellyfish -Click for more pictures and info.

Velella velella, By-the-wind-sailor jellyfish.

By-the-Wind-Sailor Jellyfish (Velella velella) - click for more.

mushroom cap jellyfish

Mushroom cap jellyfish -Click for more pictures and info.

Purple jellyfish | mauve stinger | Pelagia noctiluca

Mauve Stinger (Purple Jellyfish) -Click for more pictures and info.

box jellyfish

Box Jellyfish -Click for more pictures and info.

mesoglea from jellyfish

Mesoglea (jellyfish tissue) -Click for more pictures and info.

Jellyfish are common in Florida, but they are not everywhere all of the time. I have been swimming in the Gulf of Mexico for my whole life and I’ve never been stung by a jellyfish. If you keep your eyes open they are easy to avoid.

Sometimes, in some locations, a large mass of jellyfish will “invade” the beach. Some jellyfish are harmless, others have a relatively mild sting, and some creatures look like jellyfish but really are not.

Two jellyfish in particular, the Portuguese Man of War, and the box jellyfish (both pictured above) can give a very painful sting. Another type, comb jellies, are not true jellyfish and do not sting.

Many jellyfish have tentacles that trail down from their bodies into the water. The tentacles have stinging cells, called nematocysts, that have tiny harpoons and venom. When the tentacles touch something, or are otherwise stimulated, the nematocysts build up pressure until they burst, driving the little harpoons and the venom into the unlucky victim.

Some jellyfish have very weak venom, others have extremely potent venom, which upon sufficient exposure, can result in the death of a human. Death from a jellyfish sting has only rarely, if ever, happened in Florida waters. Florida just does not have deadly jellyfish.

There is a case of three military combat divers in the Florida Keys who suffered symptoms that resemble those of a person stung by the deadly Irukandji jellyfish normally found in Pacific waters, but it is not known for certain what species stung the divers. There is a paper published in a science journal about the incident.  

I am not a jellyfish identification expert and I’m sure you aren’t either, so I recommend that you avoid touching jellyfish. Look, but don't touch.

There are many different types of jellyfish in Florida waters, including some exotic invasive species with an unpredictable distribution.

Copyright: David McRee, BeachHunter.net