Attack of the Giant Jellyfish - KMSP-TV

Attack of the Giant Jellyfish

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Meteorologist Steve Frazier Meteorologist Steve Frazier

Imagine, you're swimming in the beautiful Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. You're not far from one of the largest cities in the world, Los Angeles. It's a great day, surfers whiz by you, kids play that annoying game of Marco Polo, and the beach is within sight. All of a sudden something stings you. You look and see a jellyfish. Its not a cute little blue one floating on the surface, but a monstrous one. It's a dark looking creature with a cap about three feet across, and tentacles stretching out over twenty feet. That scenario played out this week in Southern California, near Laguna Beach. On July 4th, several reports of swimmers being stung by came in to local authorities.

File:Black sea nettle in San Diego Bay 4.jpg

Black Sea Nettle Jellyfish,

Its rare for these jelly fish to be so close to the shore. They are usually drawn in by changing water temperatures, such as in El Nino or La Nina situations. Also, man can contribute to this jelly invasion by dumping too much farm waste in rivers that eventually make it to the sea. This waste and fertilizer is actually a food source that could lure the these giant creatures closer to land.

The good news is that the Black Nettle Jellyfish is not deadly to humans. It can deliver a powerful and painful sting, but it is not toxic to humans. However, the bad news, they almost always travel in huge swarms. Cue the theme from "Jaws". Frazier

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