Swimmers warned after giant Lion’s Mane Jellyfish found on Galway beaches
The jellyfish with the severely painful sting has been spotted at three different beaches with one person reportedly stung
Swimmers around Galway have been warned after a Lion’s Mane jellyfish was discovered on three beaches this week.
These jellyfish are large with thousands of long tentacles located beneath their upper body known as ‘the bell’.
One walker spotted the pain-inducing jellyfish in our picture above - which can still be very dangerous even when dead - on Blackrock Ladies Beach on Tuesday morning.
Galway County Council confirmed it has also reported sightings at Whitestrand and Renvyle beaches with at least one person known to have been stung.
Irish Water Safety believe that the Lion’s Mane Jellyfish had not been seen in Galway Bay for 18 years until their re-emergence in 2018 with sightings often seen sporadically in the subsequent summers since.
Experts are urging the public to report any sightings of Lion’s Mane jellyfish as although the sting isn’t considered fatal, the Zoology Department at UoG, who study the treatment for jellyfish stings, confirmed that they can cause severe local reactions and extreme pain.
A man whose young child was stung by the jellyfish previously spoke to Galway Live describing it as ten times more painful than breaking her wrist which she had done the previous year – “so that’s the pain from a child’s perspective,” they said.
Researchers at the Ryan Institute in NUIG say that rinsing the stung area with vinegar and immersing the area in hot water for over half an hour is the best way to treat the stings.
If you spot a Lion’s Mane jellyfish, you should report it the local Authority Water Safety Development Officer for Galway City and County, or at [email protected] or calling on 091 509000.