Jelly fish

[C cruzer]

Hi all,

I didnt know where to post this but since I'm sailing with my 10y/o I thought I would ask if you all have any information. In some of the posts they talk about jellyfish stings and a friend just back from a RCCL cruise said they saw them lots of them.They had to leave the water. I have been in the ocean too meny times to count and I dont think I'v ever seen one nor been stung. The friend who just returned, said that they were not stung, and its only a problem if you are allergic. But how would you know if your child was allergic, and how can you aviod them? I would think if they feed, or are more populated in an area they would post signs!

 

The friend above said after they realized what they were, they saw some large ones washed up on the beach.

 

Any advice on how to avoid and/or how to RX a sting would be greatly appreciated

[Mom_of_2_boys]

I have never seen them before either (and I live in Florida), but I have heard from various sources that if you "pee" on the stung area that it will stop hurting ... I don't know if that's true or not, but that's what I always hear.

[crusinmama06]

Everyone is allergic to a jelly fish sting....lol. I had never heard of that one before about being "allergic". Jelly fish release a toxin, I don't know anyone who is immuned.

 

After 8 cruises, we have never seen jelly fish. I know one year at Labadee, there was one girl who had to be treated for a sting.

 

Now in the states, in Massachusettes, my youngest WAS stung by something. But never in the Carribean.

 

The odds aren't that high that your son will be stung. IF you do want to be proactive....there is a jellyfish cream that prevents being stung. It's worn like a sunblock.

http://www.drugstore.com/qxp87699_333181_sespider/safe_sea/sunblock_with_jellyfish_sting_protective_lotion_spf_30.htm

 

Have a great cruise!

[bobandkelly]

we snorkeled a few years ago in Cozumel. There were lots of tiny jellyfish. My DH told the DD's that they don't sting because they are little. He did not want them to miss out on the experience of snorkling since it was such a wonderful area we were in. When we got back onto the tour boat some of the adults were saying they had been stung and were given vinegar to put on it. I had one sting on my hand, alittle itchy, by dinner that night I did not even notice it anymore. DH had many stings on his back. They were red for a few weeks after. No pain, alittle itchy. So could it be that like with insect bites some are allergic and some have less reaction?

 

I would not hesitate to snorkle there again. It was beautiful.

Kelly

[cruisead]

The reaction is similar if you're allergic to bee stings. You can go into shock and need a shot just as you would if you had bee sting allergies. And, jellyfish are still toxic when dead and washed up on a beach. If you step on one of the tentacles, the toxin is still there.

[6rugrats]

I was stung by jellyfish the one time I went into the water (the weather was bad) on our honeymoon in Puerto Vallarta. I didn't feel them at the time, but a few hours later I had huge blister/hives all over my lower legs. We went to the pharmacia to get something, as we had no idea what it was. They told us it was from jellyfish. I was sick the rest of the trip, which is funny, because I had spent a lot of time in Mexico and never gotten sick before from anything.

 

I still have scars (though they are faint now) from these stings. I would stay far away from jellyfish. You never know if you are going to have a reaction or not.

[SweetAngel]

We live in the Midwest and get to visit the ocean about once every year, but my children are total jellyfish magnets. When my son was an infant in Pensacola, we put his little legs in the ocean and he was immediately stung all over by a school of jellyfish. My husband, who was holding him, got a couple stings too. Someone said to bury his legs in sand. He wouldn't stop crying so we took him back to the hotel where he cried for about an hour.

 

When he was five years old on Fanning Island (south of Hawaii), we saw a jellyfish on the beach, so he wouldn't go in the water. He decided to play along the beach where he was then stung by a bee. Eventually we got him in the water because it made the sting feel better, but he cried a long time. It seemed he would get stung whether he swam or not.

 

Then this summer back in Pensacola, my 10 year old daughter was stung by some jellyfish. She sat out for 10 minutes but then went in the water. She said the water felt good on the stings.

[TropicalSnowflake]

We went to The Baths at Virgin Gorda (a tour for Totrola visits) and there was a sign about jellies. We went in anyway, and of course I got stung (the only one who did!). One single strand on my leg.

 

It hurt immediately, like someone rubbed a sharp rock across my thigh. It got worse and I made my DH pee on it (I, too, heard the wives' tale) but that did not work. We went to a cabana on the beach where they pulled out a 5 gallon jug of vinegar and gave me some to put on a towel and keep on the sting. That did not really help, either. It stung the rest of the night and into the next morning, but eventually subsided next day. I took Tylenol and it seemed to ease the pain.

 

I can't imagine a baby getting stung. I think that would ruin poor baby's day...and everyone's night. If you can--find the cream or something to take. Ask your doctor about how to take care of it if you do get stung.

[alphakitty]

The type and size of the jelly fish makes a difference on the sting. Portuguese Man O War and other jelly fish can be deadly. :eek: Here's what I get for looking up jelly fish. ;)

"One type of jellyfish, called the thimble jellyfish, can release eggs that can lodge within swimwear. The result is a rash known as sea bather's eruption. This occurs on the skin under the swimwear and usually develops during the first 24 hours and lasts for up to 5 days."

 

"Treatment for a minor sting would be to rinse the affected area with salt water or don’t rinse it at all. Do not rinse the involved area of skin with fresh water, because it will further activate nematocysts and worsen the reaction. Apply acetic acid 5% (white vinegar). This will inactivate undischarged nematocysts and the toxin and will help to decrease symptoms."

 

"Use over-the-counter pain medications such as Tylenol, Advil or Motrin to control pain symptoms. Immobilize the area that was poisoned to prevent further spread. For example, if a foot was stung, encourage the victim to keep the area still with as little movement as possible."

I got stung at Coco Cay recently. I hurt a bit...a little less than a bee sting. I got some "green slime" type stuff at the water park hut. That helped a little...after an hour I forgot about it. It really wasn't that bad.

[C cruzer]

Thanks to all of you for the info. Hope we dont see any but still gonna jump in;) Happy Cruising