Jellyfish at Horseshoe bay

A friend who recently got back from Bermuda told us about the jellyfish problem at HSB. Our cruise is 9 days away!:eek:

Here's confirmation:

https://www.gov.bm/articles/orseshoe-bay-beach-closed-due-increased-presence-portuguese-man-war-jellyfish

Here's the article from the Royal Gazette: http://www.royalgazette.com/news/article/20160719/portuguese-man-of-war-invade-horseshoe-bay

The date on the RG article is 7/19 which is the same on the gov't notice you cited.

SBtS

They are carried in by wind and tides. They don't swim in.

Just because there were jellyfish there on July 19 doesn't mean there will be when you're in Bermuda.

A friend who recently got back from Bermuda told us about the jellyfish problem at HSB. Our cruise is 9 days away!:eek:

Here's confirmation:

https://www.gov.bm/articles/orseshoe-bay-beach-closed-due-increased-presence-portuguese-man-war-jellyfish

AnnetteSC, we cruise this weekend, a week before you so, yeah, eek! :eek:

BUT thanks, njhorseman, for the reminder that the jellyfish can totally be having fun elsewhere when we arrive.

One more thing to put on my list - be mindful of current and local news when we get there. :) Bon voyage, AnnetteSC!!

AnnetteSC, we cruise this weekend, a week before you so, yeah, eek! :eek:

 

 

 

BUT thanks, njhorseman, for the reminder that the jellyfish can totally be having fun elsewhere when we arrive.

 

 

 

One more thing to put on my list - be mindful of current and local news when we get there. :) Bon voyage, AnnetteSC!!

Jellyfish are unpredictable. At Horseshoe Bay which is one of the few beaches with lifeguards if there are jellyfish they will post warning signs. They also post signs if there are rip currents. That is a plus for going to Horseshoe.

They had warning signs up when we were there in June. Both man-o-war and rip currents. Never saw a jellyfish and my hubby was in the water for at least two hours.

Sent from my XT1080 using Forums mobile app

They had warning signs up when we were there in June. Both man-o-war and rip currents. Never saw a jellyfish and my hubby was in the water for at least two hours.

 

Sent from my XT1080 using Forums mobile app

If there are actual large jellyfish swarms the lifeguards will blow their whistles and order everyone out of the water. I have witnessed that. But it's usually only for a short period of time. Also there are jellyfish, the ocean is swarming with them and their sting is minor discomfort and they are not easy to spot. It is the Portuguese Man of War, which are not actually jellyfish, which are easier to spot, that you really want to avoid. Their sting can be brutal.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

AnnetteSC, we cruise this weekend, a week before you so, yeah, eek! :eek:

 

BUT thanks, njhorseman, for the reminder that the jellyfish can totally be having fun elsewhere when we arrive.

 

One more thing to put on my list - be mindful of current and local news when we get there. :) Bon voyage, AnnetteSC!!

Hopefully, they'll be gone by the time you and I get there, Dreamer68! :)

Have a great cruise and report back!

If there are actual large jellyfish swarms the lifeguards will blow their whistles and order everyone out of the water. I have witnessed that. But it's usually only for a short period of time. Also there are jellyfish, the ocean is swarming with them and their sting is minor discomfort and they are not easy to spot. It is the Portuguese Man of War, which are not actually jellyfish, which are easier to spot, that you really want to avoid. Their sting can be brutal.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Oh. Emm. Gee!! You picked up a Portuguese Man of War??!! Wowee!! After I read the newspaper article AND the comments below it (specially the first guy), I went googling for images and boy, those tentacles are wicked!! We are sooooo NOT picking one up, Charles4515. I will simply live vicariously through your photo. :eek:... :)

I was stung by one 8 years ago in Tortolla and still have the scar on the back of my legs. I felt like someone took a match and lit my backside on fire.

Oh. Emm. Gee!! You picked up a Portuguese Man of War??!! Wowee!! After I read the newspaper article AND the comments below it (specially the first guy), I went googling for images and boy, those tentacles are wicked!! We are sooooo NOT picking one up, Charles4515. I will simply live vicariously through your photo. :eek:... :)

It was one of the lifeguards at Horseshoe Bay that picked it up. The lifeguards there pick them up as part of their job. They have those nets for them. Also if anyone does get stung they have stuff to put on the sting. No way I would pick one up.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

PMOW are very common in Australia where they are known locally as a Bluebottle (refer to http://australianmuseum.net.au/bluebottle). Their sting can be extremely painful, on many AUSTRALIAN beaches in the tropics emergency bottles of white vinegar are available to flush the sting site and to assist the removal of any remaining stinger fragments. As a kid growing up in Australia you soon learnt (often the hard way) to give these animals a wide berth as the trailing stings could be up to 3m long from the 'bottle' or float. I was a slow learner!!!

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

Maybe someone coming off a cruise ship this weekend can update us on the jellyfish situation at HSB....please? :)

We were at HSB this past Tuesday and no sign of jelly fish/pmow it was an absolutely perfect beach day. As good as it gets.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

There last Friday no jellyfish Perfect in every way

They had warning signs up when we were there in June. Both man-o-war and rip currents. Never saw a jellyfish and my hubby was in the water for at least two hours.

 

Sent from my XT1080 using Forums mobile app

You won't see, but oh man you will feel it!;)

If there are actual large jellyfish swarms the lifeguards will blow their whistles and order everyone out of the water. I have witnessed that. But it's usually only for a short period of time. Also there are jellyfish, the ocean is swarming with them and their sting is minor discomfort and they are not easy to spot. It is the Portuguese Man of War, which are not actually jellyfish, which are easier to spot, that you really want to avoid. Their sting can be brutal.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

As a child, we used to call the small baby ones blue bottles. The attraction then was the pop sound they made when you step on them accidentally. And when stung we used to rub a cut onion on the bite.......felt like double hell but supposedly worked! Now I read people put vinegar or scalding hot water or salt (sea) water.

Was at HSB on July 25th-our taxi driver confirmed about the jellyfish --however stated they were located predominantly in and around the base of the rock structures

We were there yesterday afternoon There weren't any visible while we were there. We did see about three at Church Bay yesterday morning, but they were easily avoided.

I can't speak on the man of war specifically, nor that particular beach, but I will say that regular jellyfish are all over the place and you just never know when they'll be in the water at any particular beach (unless it's a visible swarm). I've been stung several times in the Caribbean. Last cruise I was stung at 2 different beaches, and so was one of the other people traveling with me.

Regular jellyfish stings are unpleasant, but nothing to be afraid of. They do hurt; once you step out of the water you'll feel a burning and realize you've been stung, but pouring vinegar on the sting pretty much makes it go away, or significantly lessens the sting. If you don't have vinegar, you can always pour a shot of rum on it, that's what we did at one beach. It helped (not as much as vinegar), but better than nothing.

I've been stung other times as well, but I also spend a significant amount of time swimming in the water; probably at least several hours a day at each beach. I've never actually seen a jellyfish in real life, but I've been stung by them plenty of times. The one time I decided not to bother with the vinegar, I ended up with a rash that lasted about 4 months long, and was even on my face.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We were on Horseshoe on Friday and saw 4 washed up on the beach. I was stung by one when I was young and had an allergic reaction so after seeing them I was done with the water. We saw them when the tide started coming in. So if you go when the tide is going out you are less likely to have them wash up on shore.

this seems like the appropriate thread to ask my silly questions. i've looked at countless pics of the different beach and all the very pretty things in the water but wondered:

1. exactly what shoes do you wear to avoid getting cut on stuff

2. can you really avoid stepping on all the 'pretty things' there are in the water. id feel like a bull in a china shop from some of the pics i've seen.

this seems like the appropriate thread to ask my silly questions. i've looked at countless pics of the different beach and all the very pretty things in the water but wondered:

 

1. exactly what shoes do you wear to avoid getting cut on stuff

 

2. can you really avoid stepping on all the 'pretty things' there are in the water. id feel like a bull in a china shop from some of the pics i've seen.

You're more likely to get hurt BY them, than you doing the hurting. Anything in a shell is strong and can withstand the weight of a human, and will sink into the sand as you step on it anyway. Fish will quickly swim away as they see a foot coming. Things that don't move, might hurt you though, like a sharp shell, a sea urchin (those black spikey things that are like porcupines).

We usually wear water shoes, but sometimes don't wear anything and just risk it. Sea urchins are in shallow water, but usually not shallow enough to stand in. You'll easily see them if you swim around with goggles near the shore, but not usually right AT the shore (more like a 20 foot swim away or more).

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

this seems like the appropriate thread to ask my silly questions. i've looked at countless pics of the different beach and all the very pretty things in the water but wondered:

 

1. exactly what shoes do you wear to avoid getting cut on stuff

 

2. can you really avoid stepping on all the 'pretty things' there are in the water. id feel like a bull in a china shop from some of the pics i've seen.

I have never wore any shoes in the water at Horseshoe and never been cut on anything. Never stung by any jellys either. Been there twenty or thirty times. The bottom is soft sand. In some of the coves along the South Shore there might be some rocks. Also Elbow Beach some rocks. The water is pretty clear so I didn't wear anything because I could see the rocks. At Tobacco Bay I usually do wear shoes. As I am a beach person I would never go to a beach anywhere in the world without some kind of water shoes. Some places like Curaçao the beaches are great but there are masses of pebbles on the bottom. There are various kinds of water shoes you can get. If you google water shoes on Amazon you will see all kinds of styles. My personal choice is Teva Sandals because I only need one pair of shoes. They are good on land and in the water. I also have a spare pair that looks like the ones you will see on Amazon, sneaker style, but I have never packed them.

Here is a photo of what I have.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

What Charles posted is almost word for word what I would have written. Only difference is we have the cheapest of the cheap water shoes. :D Even wore those El Cheapos for our annual walk the long way around from Tobacco Bay back down into St. George.