Jellyfish in the Crimea, should they be afraid

Are jellyfish dangerous in Crimea

In the two seas washing the peninsula of Crimea, sometimes there are large accumulations of jellyfish. Fortunately, you should not be very afraid of them, since there are no deadly poisonous species here. From a meeting with a jellyfish in the black or Azov Sea, you can get a burn comparable to a nettle burn, and no more.

Where and when you can meet jellyfish in the Crimea

For the most part, jellyfish live in the Black Sea, and in the Sea of Azov they are carried by currents or storms.

The appearance of clusters of jellyfish of any kind on a particular section of the coast depends, first of all, on the direction of currents and water temperature. Rootworms, for example, prefer cool water and rarely approach beaches. Aurelia and ctenophores, on the contrary, are found in shallow water quite often.

Precautions

A burn from the tentacles of jellyfish can be quite painful, allergic reactions are possible. Do not touch the jellyfish, it is better to stay a few meters away from it. Also, do not pick up a beached, dead creature: the poison in the stinging cells may still be active.

What to do with a burn from contact with a jellyfish

The burn site is washed with sea water, vinegar or ammonia, cooled and sheltered from the sun. You can also treat a decoction of chamomile or panthenol.

Usually, the trace of contact with the tentacles disappears after one or two days. If the burning sensation is very strong or the state of Health has deteriorated noticeably-contact the Medical Center.

Types of jellyfish of Crimea

In the Crimean seas there are three species of jellyfish: kornerot, Aurelia and Mnemiopsis. They differ both in appearance and in the degree of possible damage to health from meeting them.

• Root Beetle (Rhizostoma pulmo) - a fairly large jellyfish with a dense bell-shaped body dome and root-like mouth blades. The color ranges from pinkish to lilac and blue. It lives in the Black Sea, rarely swims in shallow water, especially for large individuals. Touching the tentacles can result in a palpable burn comparable to that of nettles.
• Aurelia eared (Aurelia aurita) is an almost transparent medium-sized jellyfish, the diameter rarely exceeds 40 cm. It has four characteristic ring-shaped spots on the upper part of the body and a fringe of barely noticeable thin tentacles along the lower edge of the dome. Unpleasant sensations can occur only when the tentacles get into the eyes or on the mucous membrane of the lips and mouth. It inhabits mainly the waters of the Black Sea, sometimes found in the Azov.
• Mnemiopsis (Mnemiopsis leidyi) – a comb jellyfish that is not dangerous for humans. The sac-like, tentacle-less body is usually no more than 10 cm long. It is able to emit a multi-colored glow, which is the cause of the so – called "glow of the sea" in late July-early August. It is common off the coasts of both Crimean seas.