The Abject Horror of Jellyfish
Ben Barna
July 24, 2008
This past weekend I went to Fort Tilden beach on the Rockaway peninsula in Queens. A gorgeous natural setting, free of lifeguards and french fries, no traces of New York in sight. I wasted no time and ran straight into the blue, delirious that it was all a mere subway ride way. I pushed through waves, going deeper. Then things started touching me. I felt them graze my legs and bounce of my stomach. That’s when my friend said “there are so many jellyfish in here.” I looked around and they were everywhere -- alien blobs that seemed to all stare at me simultaneously, a mind-boggling feat considering they don’t have faces. And anything without a face is no friend of mine. I tore out of the water in fear and disgust. While some teased me for “cowardice,” it turns out I’m not alone. These tentacled pricks are terrorizing beachgoers the world over.
The Pelagia noctiluca threat in the South of France has inspires Cannes officials to invest $50,000 in waterborne nets, creating swimmer-friendly, sting-free swim zones about the size of Olympic pools. But the whole joy of swimming in the ocean comes from the endless expansiveness of it, the sense of freedom in the great blue void. So what’s to blame for this gelatinous invasion? Strong ocean winds blow the stingers to shore on occasion, but other variables factor in as well. Our bloodlust for the natural predators of jellyfish (that tuna tartare can could have protected you) has made it easier for them to thrive. Even global warming has a hand in the madness, raising water temperatures to the point where jellyfish feel the need to ruin my Saturday.
Posted by abrodite on Thu Jul 24, 2008 at 06.28 pm
i was in israel for jelly fish season a year or two ago. I got stung three times in one trip into the water. Not fun to be stung in salt water, but thank goodness the boaters had bottles of vinegar so I didn’t have to pee on the stings.