Beach users in Burnham-On-Sea, Berrow and Brean have this week been warned to watch out for jellyfish along local tide lines after many were washed up.
Barrel and Moon jellyfish, which can deliver a mild sting to paddlers and swimmers, have washed up along local beaches, as pictured here on Monday (June 26th).
The sighting is an annual occurence at around this time of the year following a period of hot summer weather.
A Wildlife Trust spokesman said: “Jellyfish aren’t strong swimmers and do to some extent have to follow the prevailing currents and winds. A strong onshore wind can force jellyfish onto beaches and, as the tide retreats, the jellyfish are stranded.”
“Jellyfish also sometimes occur in very large numbers, known as blooms. In which case, a strong current or wind can cause the stranding of lots of jellyfish. These blooms are more likely to happen in the late spring and summer. As the temperature and levels of sunlight rise and the amount of food (plankton) available increases, so does the jellyfish population.”
“In winter, when temperature and sunlight levels fall, there is less food available in coastal waters and jellyfish move out to deeper water or south into warmer waters. The most commonly encountered is the moon jellyfish which occasionally washes up on beaches. It is translucent with four horseshoe-shaped masses visible near the centre of the bell.”
A spokeswoman for the Marine Conservation Society adds: “While some jellyfish are harmless or have a very mild sting, others have a more painful sting. We recommend that, for your own safety, you do not touch them.”
