Jellyfish
Last week, during the Alabama shoot in Vineyard Sound I saw the first Portugese man-of-way in local waters in quite some time. I shot a few pictures of Physalia physalis just south of Woods Hole.
These infrequent visitors to our shores have already sent unsuspecting swimmers to area hospitals with some nasty stings.
If you see them in the water, stay well clear of the float, the tentacles can reach lengths of up to 40' and they are quite capable of delivering multiple stings, even if they are detatched from the float.
If you get stung, carefully remove the tentacles with a glove covered hand and immediately rinse the area with fresh or salt water. Don't rub the area, and don't try unproven remedies like using vinegar, meat tenderizer, baking soda, papain, or commercial sprays (containing aluminum sulfate and detergents) because many times there have been cases where such applications have caused further damage and even death. If someone is allergic to the stign, seek immediate medical attention, use an automatic epinephrine injector if available. For milder reactions try Benadryl tablets for the itch and rash.
For more info check out http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Physalia_physalis.html.
Stay safe and keep kids away from any "toy balloons" they might see in the wash.
