Beach Advisory: Scores of blue bottle jellyfish spotted at Mumbai’s beaches, hundreds injured
The Maharashtra government had issued an advisory on July 31 asking people to avoid Juhu & Girgaum beaches
Visiting Mumbai’s beaches may no longer be the stress buster it once was after hundreds of visitors were stung by blue bottle jellyfish, which have become a common sight along the city’s coastline over the last few days
Blue bottle jellyfishes, also known as Portuguese man-of-war, are generally seen in Mumbai during the mid-monsoon season. However, unlike previous years, locals say that the fishes were spotted in large numbers this time around.
Several people were injured and were left in pain after the venomous jellyfish attacked them.
A shopkeeper at Juhu Beach said that around 150 people have been attacked by the jellyfish in last two days alone.
“The beach is full of jellyfish. Many people have been injured, from the past two days. I am helping them by rubbing lemon when they are stung. I suggest, people should avoid visiting beach for now,” he told ANI.
Blue bottle jellyfish were recently spotted at various beaches in Mumbai.Shopkeeper at Juhu Beach says,”beach is full of jellyfish.Many people have been injured,since 2 days I’m helping them by rubbing lemon when they’re stung.I suggest,people should avoid visiting beach for now” pic.twitter.com/c6RlvRZajk
— ANI (@ANI) August 6, 2018
The long tentacles of jellyfish enter the body of an individual, causing pain and itching for hours. The venomous sting can kill fish but not humans.
“The jellyfish stings the person who comes into its contact. It causes physical pain and that body part becomes red. There may be deafness or that particular part becomes numb. Some vinegar and hot water should be poured on the affected part,” State Commissioner for Fisheries Arun Vidhale was quoted as saying.
Vidhale added that the waves bring the jellyfish, which live at the surface of the ocean, to the shore and when they usually arrive, it is for reproduction purposes.
The Maharashtra government had also issued an advisory on July 31, asking people to avoid Juhu beach and Girgaum beach, where the jellyfish had been spotted.
Interestingly, the blue bottle jellyfish is not a single animal, but a colony of four types of highly modified zooids that are dependent on one another for survival.
