PANAMA CITY BEACH, Florida – A large number of jellyfish are present from Panama City Beach to Destin, Florida, according to social media posts and flag warnings from South Walton County lifeguards.
Images posted by beachgoers on social media depict three types of jellyfish common to the Florida Panhandle: cannonball jellyfish, pink meanies, and moon jellyfish.
As pictured above, cannonball jellyfish have a 7- to 10-inch dome-shaped bell, light in color with darker pigmentation around its edges.
Their short, stocky tentacles, mostly underneath the dome, help prevent accidental human contact.
Pink meanies, or Drymonema larsoni, are vibrant pink jellyfish discovered in the Gulf of Mexico in 2000 and identified as a new species in 2010, earning their own family, Drymonematidae—the first new jellyfish family since 1921. With bells up to 3 feet wide and tentacles stretching 70 feet, they’re unique predators that feast on other jellyfish, especially moon jellies, using their stinging tentacles to ensnare dozens at a time, helping regulate jellyfish populations.
Moon jellyfish are circular, translucent, and range from 10 to 16 inches in diameter.
Rinse the area of a jellyfish sting with vinegar.
Do not use fresh water, as it can trigger stingers to release more venom into the victim.
If tentacles remain stuck to the skin, remove them quickly with tweezers, or use a gloved hand, towel, or the dull edge of a plastic card if tweezers aren’t available.
Most jellyfish stings, though intensely painful, are minor and subside within minutes.
For severe reactions—such as fainting, shortness of breath, chest pain, scratchy throat, or hives away from the sting site—call 911 and contact a lifeguard immediately.
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