Don’t be so jelly
Dearest gentle readers,
Welcome to round two of dangerous Australian creatures that aren’t deadly but severely uncomfortable, whether that’s for your mental or physical health (need I remind you of the Huntsman spider or shark?).
Today’s episode brings you…the bluebottle jellyfish!
Aww, you might say. What a cute and pretty name for a jellyfish. And in fact, look how pretty it is washed up on the sand.
Photo credit: Kyle Hovey; Flickr
Fun fact: The bluebottle jellyfish actually has another name that you might be more familiar with — the Portuguese Man O’War, which you’ve most likely heard before.
Bluebottles are apparently not uncommon on Sydney’s beaches during the summer, a fact that was news to me in my second summer here in Sydney. Despite their tiny size they give off a disproportionately large and nasty sting, which can cause intense pain for a couple of hours and a lingering rash for several days. They like to linger near the surface, floating and bobbing on top of the water without a care in the world.
Most of the beachgoers at Bondi, the beach I’d decided to explore today, sat on the sand — and I’m assuming — enjoying the view of the ocean, turning faces up when the sun deemed to show us mere mortals its presence, chatting unhurriedly, Unworriedly while waiting for the lifeguards to give the “all clear” to go back in the water.
Oh, didn’t I mention? There’s a sign for every type of dangerous water situation out here.
All those blobs in the sand? Hello bluebottle jellyfish!