DURBAN - BEACHGOERS have been advised to tread cautiously as the north-easterly winds have blown in bluebottles to the shore.
According to the South African Association for Marine Biological Research or SAAMBR, those hoping to frolic about in the cool waves need to be careful.
"Watch out when you are on the beach as the stinging cells in their tentacles can still sting! Be careful if you are stung as some people can have allergic reactions to the stinging cells. A cloth soaked in hot water can help relieve the pain. The best is to stay away from them and don’t swim when there are many in the water," the Association warned.
According to the SAAMBR, bluebottles are a fascinating colony of animals living together, each performing a specific function.
"The float - the bag-like part filled with a special gas mixture - is used as a sail for movement and the animal can adjust the shape and position of the float depending on the wind. The tentacles are armed with stinging cells and can reach many meters in length. Out in the ocean, blue bottles feed on tiny fish and other floating animals that they immobilise with their stinging cells. Bluebottles are related to corals, anemones and jellyfish," the SAAMBR said.
"The north easterly winds we have been experiencing recently blow the bluebottles onto the shore," the Association added.
What to do if you’ve been stung by a bluebottle
- Find a place to rest with someone who can watch over you
- Don’t rub the sting area
- Pick off any remaining tentacles with fingers (a harmless prickling may be felt)
- Rinse the stung area well with seawater to remove any invisible stinging cells
- Place the stung area in hot water (at a temperature you can comfortably tolerate)
- If the pain is unrelieved by the heat, or if hot water is not available, apply cold packs or wrapped ice.
- Use the leaves of the Carpobrotus edulis, the fleshy succulent with pink flowers usually found along many beaches. Apply the aloe-like gel to the stung area but be careful not to rub the affected area
- If the symptoms persist or for stings that cover a particularly large area, or across the throat and face, seek medical assistance
IOL