Jellyfish in Labadee, Haiti?

[FamilyWithKids2]

Hi,

 

Going for our 1st cruise in June with Harmony, with two kids (ages 8 and 13).

Our first port is Labadee, Haiti.

 

We planned the zipline for the older boy and my husband, the water park, and some fun beach time.

 

I have learned there can be big jellyfish in Labadee, easpecially in the water park area, and I'm afraid this can ruin the day...

 

Are there indeed jelly fish in Labadee?

Any ideas how to avoid them while enjoing the beach?

 

Also, which beaches are nice, calm water with nice soft sand (and not rocks) in Labadee?

 

Thank you so much :-)

[BillOh]

Someone will probably report yes, but in 3 visits, I have never had less than a great beach day.

 

I was snorkeling once in Coco Cay and saw one in enough time to swim around it.

[cruiseturbo]

We have been to Labadee more times than we can count and have never encountered or saw any Jellyfish. I have heard about them at CocoCay, the other private island.

 

Also Nellie's beach is very sandy without too many rocks or coral. We enjoy our visit there everytime and can't wait to go back!

[Big_G]

We have been to Labadee more times than we can count and have never encountered or saw any Jellyfish. I have heard about them at CocoCay, the other private island.

 

Also Nellie's beach is very sandy without too many rocks or coral. We enjoy our visit there everytime and can't wait to go back!

 

Agreed, same here.

[johnjen]

On our last trip to Labadee this past June, someone yelled out "jellyfish in the water" and everyone ran out. Jellyfish come with the tides at various times nearly everywhere in the Caribbean. Far as zipline goes, from what I observed, you don't come in contact with the water. Just be wary of what's around you in the water near the beach.

[Ourusualbeach]

Two years ago my daughter was stung at Columbus Cove. The jellyfish were not big and easily noticeable. She was treated by first aid who said it was fairly common. If you do get stung the worst thing you can do is have a fresh water shower. Plain white vinegar helps.

[TonyL128]

The beach crew will warn you if there are jellyfishes in the water. If there are too many, they will close the beach or water park. You can go to one of the other beaches.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cb at sea]

Jellyfish are dependent on the tides....we have never seen any, but that doesn't mean YOU won't!

[goneclear]

Jelly fish are mostly present in the southern Caribbean around the months of March and April.

I guess its because of how the currents run at that time of the year. There are usually two types. The ones that look like a tennis ball. Harmless to most people. If you touch the back area of it it can leave the area feeling a little scratchy to some people.

Then there is the Man-o-war which is the colorful bubble floating on top of the water with far reaching stinging tentacles under the surface. These are very painful and can scar. Some times they even warrant urgent medical attention.

The local remedy here is to throw vinegar on the stung area for some relief until you can get medical attention.

Please Note I said southern Caribbean. Haiti which is where Labadee is located is not considered the Southern Caribbean. I am guessing there Jellyfish season may be a couple of weeks before or after ours. Always best to talk to a local when it comes to things like these.

[ash2bear]

We were there, in June, and never saw one. Kids were at the aqua park and we were in the water near there for the rest of the day. That being said, we met a woman later that evening who had been stung in that same area. Keep your eyes open. :)

[WhenIsLobsterNight]

I was snorkeling there one time and did see a very large jellyfish. I left it alone and it left me alone. I have been there several times since and have not seen another. I would say it is doubtful you will encounter one, but yes they are around.

[mad-dog74]

I've never seen them either on my numerous stops at Labadee, but then again most people never see shark attacks at Myrtle Beach. But, anything can happen at anytime I guess.

[Arzeena]

On our last trip to Labadee this past June, someone yelled out "jellyfish in the water" and everyone ran out.

 

That's what happened to us too. Never seen any.

[Fouremco]

Jelly fish are mostly present in the southern Caribbean around the months of March and April.

I guess its because of how the currents run at that time of the year. There are usually two types. The ones that look like a tennis ball. Harmless to most people. If you touch the back area of it it can leave the area feeling a little scratchy to some people.

Then there is the Man-o-war which is the colorful bubble floating on top of the water with far reaching stinging tentacles under the surface. These are very painful and can scar. Some times they even warrant urgent medical attention.

The local remedy here is to throw vinegar on the stung area for some relief until you can get medical attention.

Please Note I said southern Caribbean. Haiti which is where Labadee is located is not considered the Southern Caribbean. I am guessing there Jellyfish season may be a couple of weeks before or after ours. Always best to talk to a local when it comes to things like these.

As an experienced scuba diver, I'm aware of a good many other species throughout the Caribbean, including the waters off Haiti. One of the nastier ones, fortunately not seen in Haiti, is the Bonaire Banded Box Jellyfish:

 

Bonaire banded box jellyfish (Tamoya ohboya) is a relatively unknown, highly venomous species found in the Dutch Caribbean. Since 1989 there have been roughly 50 confirmed sightings primarily in Bonaire with the remainder on the shores of Mexico, St. Lucia, Honduras, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. There have only been three reported cases of envenomation, which led to intense pain and skin damage; only one case required hospitalization. [Divers Alert Network]

[WeExplore]

We too have been to Labadee many times with no issues but in December 2015 DD got stung by a jellyfish. We now definitely keep a much closer watch out for them!

[bren61]

Where is the best place to snorkel at Labadee?

[mfeld]

If you are swimming in the ocean anywhere there is always going to be the possibility of jellyfish being around. There are a couple things you can to to minimize the risk. Wear rashguards with long sleeves or even buy a full body swimsuit, they are very common now as people wear them to protect against sun exposure. The more of your body that is covered, the more you minimize the risk. The other thing you can do is research the area you are going and see if jellyfish are common at certain times of the year. Jellyfish blooms and spawning tend to be seasonal, if you go during a season where jellyfish tend to bloom in that area, obviously you are taking more of a risk.

[FireStation46]

Never happened to me.

 

However, getting into the water can be a challenge as there are a lock of rocks at the shore line. I bought some water shoes but they were hopeless. Found better water shoes on ll bean. Firmer, better soles, overall a good water shoe. There are cheaper shoes out there but junk compared to my ll bean's

[mfeld]

After a little bit of research, it appears that the Northern Caribbean's jellyfish season is the warmest months which is usually the case at most locations. August seems to be a month that people in Puerto and the Dominican Republic claim is high season, but I would google the topic and see if there are any specific times of year for the Labadee area of Haiti. Since Haiti is not as common a destination for people to go to, it may be difficult to find out for sure, but since it is a concern for you and your family, I would avoid the warmest summer months.