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Jellyfish Arrival Calendar Forecast for Hawaii Beaches 2014 Be Ocean Safe!

Posted by Colleen Kudo on

Ocean Girls & Guys, Ocean Lovers and Beginner Surfers 2014!

Miss_faryn_ocean_girl_project_surfstainable_debris_in_a_bottle At Ocean Girl Project Surf Camps we learn what it means to be a steward of the ocean and we surf a lot too!

Surfers are in the ocean pretty much every chance they get, experiencing,  interacting, watching out for each other, well you get the idea.  Being a surfer or water person you form a very personal relationship with the ocean and nature, you are not only observing and appreciating, you are now a part of it all.

Starting with this first educational focused article and continuing into next month, we will share useful bits of simple ocean/surf/nature information, hopefully you will learn something  or can pass on to someone who is a new surfer or ocean lover.  Mahalo! Sea ya in the water…One Love, all creatures. Ocean Girl Project Team Volunteers!

sign-oceangirlproject-new-surfers-Jellyfish Box Jellyfish aka Jellies –  know when they are expected! 2014 below and online jelly fish calendar

The box jellyfish is most commonly found on Hawaii’s leeward (west) and south shores. Their arrival on Hawaii’s beaches is quite predictable. They usually arrive around 9-12 days after a full moon (but occasionally they have been observed on off-cycle days as well). This is when warning signs are usually posted on many Oahu beaches (warning signs are generally only posted on popular beaches).

Don’t swim at remote and unguarded beaches for your own safety. There are many other ocean hazards besides jellyfish, including strong currents, rip tides, sharp coral, etc. Similar to a jellyfish, the Portuguese man-of-war also causes a painful sting. It has a purplish body and is commonly found on windward (east) shores as the prevalent northeastern trade-winds blow these creatures close to shore.

If you see a jellyfish on the beach, don’t touch it as its tentacles can cause a painful sting even if the animal is dead. Keep children away from beached jellyfish. If you get stung, see a lifeguard for first aid.  For more serious cases or if you feel unwell, call 911 immediately, jellyfish stings may cause an anaphylactic shock or in some cases even death.

 

MARINE LIFE PROFILE: BOX JELLIES
Education Department Waikïkï Aquarium
University of Hawai‘i-Mänoa
Scientific names: Carybdea alata, C. rastoni, and C. sivickisi
Distribution: tropical waters of the Pacific,
Indian & Atlantic Oceans
Size: to 3 inches (7.5 cm) in height
Diet: predators on small fishes and crustaceans
Box jellies (also known as jellyfish) belong to the invertebrate Phylum Cnidaria, a
diverse group of stinging animals whose members all possess stinging cells for feeding and
protection. Jelly/jellyfish relatives include the sea anemones, corals, and Portuguese man-of-
war. The box jellies, or Cubomedusae, are named for the squarish shape of their bell-shaped
body. Three species are now known in Hawaiian waters, Carybdea alata and a species Carybdea rastoni, and Carybdea Sivickisi.
C. alata is the largest of the three, reaching sizes of one and a half to two inches and diameter and three inches in height. The smaller species is about a third the size. Each of these box jellies has four thin, pinkish tentacles that trail from the”corners” of the transparent body. Complex sensory structures are located between the tentacles,just above the bell margin; each contains a balance organ and a light detector that includes a lens. Box jellies are capable of directed swimming toward a light source, and are reported as the fastest swimmers among the jellies and their relatives. They are active predators, capturing small fishes and crustaceans with their potent sting.
Do you have a story, tip or question about the ocean, surfing and or jellies? Be sure to comment here or join us on facebook!

IS A JELLYFISH REALLY A FISH ??

Email answers to Colleen for a chance to win (2) free tickets

to Waikiki Aquarium. Contest begins 02/22/2014 – ends 03/22/2014                    

email: colleen@oceangirlproject.com

CLICK TO VIEW:  Box Jelly Calendar.
Information updated for 2014, mahalo visit our surf site at www.oceangirlproject.com for lessons, camps and more!