Incredible find on Aussie beach prompts warning to locals and tourists: 'Keep away'
They're considered one of the largest of all jellyfish species and can deliver a seriously painful sting.
Residents living in a small waterside suburb were shocked by an impressive discovery this week with one woman issuing a warning to others exploring the area to stay clear of the "dangerous" find.
Washed up on the rocks at Rodd Point, in Sydney's inner west, was a humungous, disc-like object donning shades of pink and red. Experts confirmed with Yahoo News Australia it's "without a doubt" a lion's mane jellyfish — a marine animal known to be "pretty venomous" which can deliver a painful sting.
The local woman said she saw two washed ashore on Monday and later saw another floating in the water. According to Lisa-ann Gershwin, a marine biologist and jellyfish expert, it's pretty common to see multiple as like with all jellyfish the lion's mane is known to "bloom" together in the thousands.
So it's not entirely unexpected to have a couple wash ashore — especially around Sydney and the east coast of Australia where they're often found.
Lion's mane are among the largest jellyfish in the world
The lion's mane is one of the largest jelly species in the world. Its body, or bell, can grow over one metre across while its trailing tentacles can reach more than 10 metres in length. Gershwin couldn't predict the size of this particular one based on photos alone, she said it's most definitely a mature adult, likely hanging around from last winter. The vast majority will die off after summer.
"I can't really tell from the photos because it doesn't have a person in it for size scale, but that is a mature medusa. The medusa is the jellyfish stage," Gershwin explained to Yahoo.
"It's definitely not a polyp (a jellyfish in its infant stage), so that is the adult jellyfish stage," she added, implying it's likely massive. Although this one "looks rather flat" because it's been left "high and dry" out of the water.
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Sting from lion's mane 'will bring tears to your eyes'
The local woman was right in warning residents to "keep your kids away" too because, while they're not deadly, a sting from one of these will certainly cause a lot of pain. Although it will likely be short-lived with "no lasting effects". There's often immediate burning and localised pain, sometimes accompanied by itching and irritated skin.
"All jellyfish are venomous. They can inject venom into the skin at 40,000 Gs of force, it's incredible," Gershwin, from Tasmania, explained. "From there, it depends on how much venom you take on and how toxic that venom is. In the case of lion's manes, they're not particularly toxic.
"They hurt, don't get me wrong. There is pain, but most lion's manes aren't life-threatening" she said, like the box jellyfish, for example — at least not the species found in Australian waters.
Unlike a sting from other species of jellyfish, scarring will not occur when whipped by the tentacles. "I've never heard of scarring from a lion's mane," she continued. "But they'll bring tears to your eyes a bit, especially if you're a child with sensitive skin."
People warned to stay clear of venomous marine animal
Gershwin advises people to leave them alone if one is spotted washed up on the beach. The tide will likely wash it back into the ocean. The same goes for swimmers who might encounter one in the water — they are best given a wide berth.
"Sometimes people want to poke at them with a stick. I strongly advise against that because the problem is, let's say you poke at it with a stick and then you toss the stick aside, and then somebody else comes along walking their dog and the dog picks up the stick in its mouth, it's going to get the sting. Just don't do that," she explained.
If stung, the Australian Museum recommends applying a cold pack to relieve the pain and seeking medical attention if necessary. Gershwin said it's also advised to rinse the sting well with seawater.
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