Forget sharks. This is the number one reason I don't like getting into the water at the beach

[CatWoman]

Thousands Of Jellyfish Litter SF's Ocean Beach

SAN FRANCISCO -- A pounding surf may have been the culprit that lead to tens of thousands of jellyfish washing up on San Francisco's Ocean Beach Saturday, according to national park officials.

"There was a large swell overnight that may have been responsible," National Park Service spokesman George Durgerian said.

Durgerian was incredulous at the sight of the jellyfish. He said he's only seen an incident like this once before.

"It was huge, like a cobblestone walkway made of jellyfish," he said.

Jellyfish packed a section of beach stretching about three miles long and 20 feet wide. It was easily seen between Pacheco and Lawton streets.

http://www.ktvu.com/news/25787487/detail.html?cxntlid=cmg_cntnt_rss

Take a look at the slideshow :scared:

[hlthe2b]

1. that's gonna be one smelly beach shortly...

uggh.

[CatWoman]

2. did you see the pictures?

:scared:

like an invasion!!!

:scared:

[hlthe2b]

12. Well, there is gonna be a lot of "peeing" on that beach...

if anyone inadvertently walks through. LOL

Nasty little suckers.

[KittyWampus]

7. Here in NY, we had worse problem over longer time. They don't have much tissue. Mostly water.

No real smell. They dry up into in the same and just leave a crust.

[Dyler Turden]

3. I'm with you. I had one wrap around my leg once when I was a kid.

OUCH!

[petronius]

4. That's really trippy. I always see a couple of stranded jellies when I go to the beach,

but I've never seen anything remotely like that...

[HopeHoops]

5. I was in O.C., MD and found one the size of a golfball IN MY TRUNKS! I pulled it out - set it free.

The damn things were everywhere but it is a little disconcerting to find one that size right next to the unit!

I learned later that the clear ones (which this was) don't sting. I had no marks anywhere, including on the hand I used to extract it. I'm not sure if the "clear" rule is universally true or not, but apparently it is for that part of the Atlantic.

The only thing that made me clear the kids out of the water was what looked like a small shark. It occurred to me later that it was probably just a young stingray because we had observed them from one of the piers earlier.

[KittyWampus]

6. WTF? Here on the east coast of Long Island the coastline has been LITTERED with jellyfish.

Never in my life have I seen so many. One day, you couldn't walk along the water's edge without stepping on them.

This has been going on for months now.

[WhiteTara]

8. the balance in the ocean is so off

that they can take over. The are really incredibly beautiful creatures in the sea, but they sort of remind me of weeds and trash trees that take over the forest after clear cuts.


typo is my middle name

[KittyWampus]

9. are they filling an niche that has become void? I am seriously curious now.

[kestrel91316]

13. Yes, they are. The fish are gone, so the jellyfish thrive (nobody there to eat them).

[WhiteTara]

15. it is my belief that yes, they are

we have taken almost everything out of the sea and it leaves wide open spaces to be filled. There is the saying, nature abhors a vacuum.

[csziggy]

20. National Geographic had a show about the "Jellyfish Invasion"

Near Japan - fishermen's nets were breaking because they were full of jellyfish. They said one theory is that jellyfish breed more prolifically when the waters are warmer. These invasions may be a result of ocean warming because of global climate change.

[CatWoman]

21. ah ha............

great info/point, Zig.

:thumbsup:

[csziggy]

24. It's a little more complicated than just ocean warming

From an article at NatGeo:

The causes for the recent outbreak of N. nomurai population are still under investigation, but may be related to environmental changes in Chinese coastal waters, where the following changes are in progress:

1) Warming, which accelerates the growth rate of polyps

2) Eutropication, which enhances the food supply to medusae

3) Over-fishing, or decrease of competitors, which result into open niche for jellyfish to invade.

4) Water front and harbor constructions, which provide more substrate area for polyps to attach.

Read more: http://ngccommunity.nationalgeographic.com/ngcblogs/inside-ngc/2007/09/jellyfish-invasion.html#ixzz15NbEDWfn

Video of the jellyfish: http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/animals/invertebrates-animals/other-invertebrates/jellyfish.html

[raccoon]

10. "Let's go surfin' now, everybody's learnin' how, come on a safari with me!" nt

[Vickers]

11. If you get stung, get someone to pee on the sting site.

I wish I was kidding.

[sally cat]

14. I've always used ammonia and water 1:4 mixture. Stops the pain immediately.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

16. Jellyfish make for a good salad. nt

[GSLevel9]

17. yes, they're nasty... OUCH!!!! nt

[madrchsod]

18. on chicago`s lake front it`s the birds shitting in the water and the beach then...

throw in the raw sewage from milwaukee...

lake michigan is`t the place to be!

[CatWoman]

19. ever hear of "Miloganite"?

it's a fertilizer I use on my flowers in the summer.

It comes from Michigan sewers.

[spanone]

22. i haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate jellyfish...

fascinating critters...

[GrpCaptMandrake]

23. Did anyone notice the text of the article?

At the end, it said there were "no plans for rescue." I love that someone would even think there might be. A jellyfish rescue.

Darn! Where's PETA when you need 'em?

PETA Jellyfish Rescue Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(San Francisco) "We're proudly OUCH! rescuing the OUCH GODDAMMIT! jellyfish and JESUS CHRIST THAT FUCKING HURTS! returning them to their CAN'T I JUST GO THROW PAINT ON SOMEBODY?! homes in the SCREW THESE LITTLE BASTARDS! I NEED A HALF-CAF CARAMEL MACHIATTO WITH SOY MILK FOAM AND A VEGAN ORGANIC BISCOTTI sea."
-30-

[Posteritatis]

26. Hee.

Though I admit I'd sort of love to see a successful jellyfish rescue if just for how completely absurd such a thing would be.

[GrpCaptMandrake]

27. Positively Pythonesque!

I imagine the late, great Graham Chapman in the role of head jellyfish wrangler/rescuer.

[proteus_lives]

25. San Francisco should ban jellyfish.