Ocean
Watch
Monday, September 29, 1997
Use vinegar for jellyfish
stings, not for men-of-war
A reader named Jeremy recently sent me an interesting
e-mail: "After 10 years in Hawaii, I'm still confused about what to
call our jellyfish! What are the purplish-blue ones? Are they box
jellyfish? My 6-year-old son and I recently got stung by two of these guys
on the same day at Bellows Beach. Ouch! I used vinegar, which helped some.
What do men-of-war look like? Aren't there two varieties here?"
I also used to be confused about Hawaii's jellyfish,
and I'm sure others are too. The identification of jellyfish types and
treatment of their stings is a public-health issue that Hawaii ocean-goers
should know about. I am currently working on a jellyfish research project
-- which means I know the answers to Jeremy's questions.
The purple-blue critters are Portuguese men-of-war,
named by 18th-century English sailors after the warships of the
Portuguese.
Because these offshore creatures float on top of the
water, they are driven by wind. When the wind blows onshore, the creatures
sometimes drift to Hawaii's shores.
To determine the likelihood of a Portuguese man-of-war
sting, ask a lifeguard. If a lifeguard is not available, stand facing the
water. If the wind blows in your face, beware. The stronger and longer the
wind blows onshore, the more likely men-of-war will be around.
Some researchers believe two species of Portuguese
man-of-war exist and that the application of vinegar makes the sting from
one worse. Since no one can tell which of the two types stung them,
doctors recommend no vinegar be applied to stings.
Jellyfish are bell-shaped animals that swim underwater.
The transparent box jellyfish usually appear on Hawaii's south shores
eight to 10 days after the full moon.
Researchers recommend applying vinegar to all jellyfish
stings.
