Swarms of jellyfish are being spotted on Irish coasts as jellyfish season comes to a head. The most dangerous jellyfish that are more and more frequently being seen in Irish waters over the past few years is the Lions Mane.
Twitter users have been sharing photos in their droves of enormous examples of the treacherous species being found on beaches across Ireland, reports RSVP Live.
There are a number of different species which will infiltrate Irish waters this summer, with the majority of stings reported in August and September.
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However, the Lions Mane is considered the biggest threat to sea swimmers, and an alert has been issued for swimmers along Dublin’s northern coastline as the species has been increasingly spotted over the last few weeks.
The Lions Mane used to only be seen in Ireland every few years, but in the past decade has become a habitual visitor to Irish coasts, and their habitation of Irish waters will only increase in the coming decades thanks to the knock-on effects of over fishing and climate change.
The jellyfish are easily recognisable by their deep red complexion and hair like tendrils, and a Twitter thread growing in popularity on the social media site has seen people sharing their encounters with giants of the species in Ireland over the last few weeks.
"Mahoozive jellyfish on the beach in #skerries today That's my foot - to give an indication of the size of this creature," tweeted Margaret O'Gorman, sharing a photo of the huge Lions Mane she found washed up.
"What struck me about this creature was how vulnerable it looked on the strand. I didn't find it at all scary. I felt sorry for it. But I haven't experienced its sting. For the record I wear size 36 shoes. The jellyfish was at least a metre in diameter."
"I wasn't expecting this tweet to generate so much interest. Seems there's a lot of them off the east coast at the moment. They have been around for 650 million years - but only have a lifespan of 12 months. They can grow to over 30 metres - and they have a nasty sting."
Other shared their own pictures with the creatures.
"Ballyholme here! There seem to be a lot about at the moment," wrote Jeff Ridley.
"This AM in Portmarnock I was going to swim instead of Kiliney, yeah saw these and went walking instead," wrote Brian Rusk.
The Lions Mane has very long, spindly whitish/clear tentacles that trail out behind them so stay away from these and never get too close, especially in the water.
They can still sting you when they are dead, and the tentacles can still sting after they have become detached from their body, so absolutely never handle these creatures without heavy duty protective equipment.
Some people have required hospitalisation after being stung, and alongside searing pain, being stung can also trigger nausea, sweating, cramps, headaches and other symptoms.
The stingers are said to give an effect of increasing pain, peaking around 20 minutes after the sting, so remove any remaining tentacles with a tweezers as soon as possible to minimise the effects.
Research published by NUI Galway in 2017 says to rinse the area with vinegar, and then rinse with 45 degree water for 40 minutes, or apply a heat pack of the same temperature for 40 minutes.
Those who spot this jellyfish in Irish waters or washed up on shores should report the sightings to the National Biodiversity Data Centre website and the Big Jellyfish Hunt Facebook page.
For more information on what to do if you are stung, or how to identify jellyfish, use the HSE information portal HERE.
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