Your beach day might take an unpleasant turn if a jellyfish stings you. On Hilton Head Island, where thousands flock to the sands, Alec Kipnes from Shore Beach Services (SBS) notes that jellyfish season usually kicks off in late June and lasts around two months.
“Jellyfish are kind of seasonal here. Usually we see an uptick around July, August. “
However, some jellyfish have already been spotted washing ashore. Since March, SBS has addressed over 90 stings. Yet, jellyfish aren’t the sole marine life that might disrupt your plans. Stingrays are another sea creature frequently found in the Lowcountry’s shallow waters.
Kipnes mentions that they’ve encountered approximately 130 stingray injuries this season. “Hilton Head has a substantial stingray population. We advise people to perform the ‘stingray shuffle.’ This means keeping your feet on the ocean floor and avoiding stepping directly on them to prevent getting jabbed by their barbs.”
Kipnes says the jellyfish stings they see are fairly moderate and can be easily treated by rinsing the affected area in salt water and then again under hot tap water. The more painful, stingray punctures are treated similarly but you should seek help to quickly lessen the pain. Kipnes advises, “If you get stung by a stingray, try to find one of our lifeguards. They’re all trained on how to take care of them. But mostly it’s just soaking your foot in hot water to get rid of that pain as well.”
