Beach danger number 5: Sharks and jellyfish and stingrays OH MY!

May 18, 5:21 PMWorld Beach ExaminerBarbra Stuter

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Shark minding his own business

With the arrival of Memorial Day comes the unofficial start to summer and the migration of cold pale shut-ins to the warm sunny shores of our oceans.  To celebrate the arrival of summer, I have assembled a list of  “Top 5 beach dangers” , a common sense, matter of fact guide to enjoying your day at the beach and staying safe.  Starting today with number five, I will present a new and present danger each day until we wrap up on Friday.  By the time you head out this weekend you will be armed, educated and ready for any of the top five dangers you may encounter while at the beach this summer. 

Beach danger #5:  Sharks and jellyfish and stingrays OH MY!
While getting attacked by a shark is the least likely danger to befall you, it is the most feared by many beach goers.  Yes, there are sharks in every ocean in the world and yes, occasionally they do mistakenly attack people.  At this point I am obliged to give you a random statistic on how unlikely you are to get bit, so here you go:  “You have a better chance of getting struck by a meteor (one in 700,000) than getting killed by a shark (one in 11.5 million)”.  Follow this link for the steps you can take to better your odds and for some advice for you to follow if you bump into one of these magnificent animals.  The sea creature encounter you are more likely to have is that with either a jellyfish or a stingray.  Let’s look at sting rays first, one of the shark’s closest cousins.

 Stingray Range

While the death of crocodile hunter Steve Erwin by stingray was truly a freak occurrence, stingray injuries are not uncommon with an estimated 1,500 injuries per year in the U.S. alone.  You will find stingrays exactly in the same spots people like to swim and wade; the shallow coastal waters of temperate seas.   When they aren’t feeding they spend most of their time inert, partially buried in the sand.  A protection mechanism for them is their coloring, typically the same as the sea floor, camouflaging them from predators, including humans.  Take it from me; they need to be camouflaged from humans.  Especially me as I find barbecued skate wing particularly delicious.  I’m not kidding – recipe here.  Sting rays are not aggressive, and will not even attack defensively when cornered.  Most stings occur when a swimmer or a diver accidentally steps on the stingray, getting stung by either stepping directly on or getting lashed by the jagged poisonous barb located on either the base or end of their tail.  Find out here how to prevent being stung and what to do if you are. 

Jelly at Monterey Bay Aquarium

Another real threat to those of us who enjoy a dip in the ocean is that of being stung by a jellyfish.  Unfortunately, the worldwide numbers have been steadily increasing over the last several years, making the chance of running into one fairly likely.  There have been many reasons cited for this increase, mostly pollution, overfishing of natural predators and of course the cause of every ill, global warming.  The National Science Foundation has listed Australia, the Gulf of Mexico, Hawaii and the Mediterranean as problem areas.  Stings from different varieties of jellies can range from a mild irritation to those that cause death within minutes, so it pays to be informed both how to avoid being stung and what to do if you are.  Follow this link for prevention tips and treatment first aid steps.

Be sure and check back here tomorrow for our next installment in the beach dangers series with number four on the list; Lightning.