Jellyfish abroad and while traveling: are they dangerous, where do you encounter them, where can you see them?

Jellyfish: are you prepared if you encounter them while traveling?

Jellyfish: are you insured during an internship, volunteer work or job if you encounter them?

What are jellyfish?

Jellyfish are simple, jelly-like marine animals. They often have tentacles, but no brain, heart or other organs like many other animals.
Jellyfish can swim, but often go with the flow of the current.
They mainly eat plankton and other small marine animals.
Jellyfish are very special because of their simple, but effective structure. There is even a jellyfish that is described as immortal - the Turritopsis dohrnii. This jellyfish can revert the cells to a younger form when it is in danger and thus "restart" life.

Jellyfish are found in all seas and oceans, both on the coast and in the deep sea. Some species that are closely related to jellyfish also occur in fresh water.
Especially with offshore winds, there is a good chance that jellyfish will come near the coast due to the undercurrent.

You don't have to worry about jellyfish coming at you, because they have no interest in people. What usually happens is that someone accidentally swims into one or steps on a dead jellyfish on the beach.
Some jellyfish are hardly dangerous, other jellyfish can be fatal in severe cases. Fortunately, most jellyfish fall into the first group.
In most jellyfish, only the tentacles are equipped with stinging stinging cells. These many stinging cells release poison when touched, which usually causes itching and a burning rash.
The tentacles of a dead jellyfish on the beach can still sting.

The 16 species of Irukandji jellyfish are the most poisonous group of jellyfish. With a mostly almost transparent body and a body of only one centimeter in size, these nasty creatures are easy to miss while swimming, snorkeling or diving. The jellyfish group is found around Indonesia, the Philippines and around the Great Barrier Reef.
Stings from the Irukandji can be fatal and there is no antidote.
Around Australia you have the box jellyfish (one of the Irukandji jellyfish), also called the Australian sea wasp. A not-so-nice friend with tentacles that can grow to three meters long.
Watch out for the infamous "Portuguese man-of-war" (found in many places around the world!). An enormous jellyfish-like creature that can cause excruciating pain (go to the hospital!). The fact that this animal is actually a fascinating colony of clones of itself and not a jellyfish, will probably not matter to you after a sting.

Most jellyfish species only cause somewhat painful stings that can be somewhat combated with vinegar, Azaron or painkillers.
Rinse the stung area with seawater or hot water. Cold tap water, on the other hand, seems to make the reaction worse.
Remove the tentacles from your skin as soon as possible after the sting. Scrape the remaining stinging cells from your skin with a credit card, for example, to stop the skin reaction.
Seek medical attention, especially in areas where dangerous jellyfish species live or when the symptoms are worse than mild pain and red skin.
There is also water-repellent sunscreen that offers protection against jellyfish stings, even those from the "Portuguese man-of-war".
The idea that urinating on a jellyfish sting helps is based on a myth, but it can give someone mental peace... the choice is yours.

Jellyfish are not long-term diseases, but some consequences of jellyfish stings are:
pain and irritation of the skin.
swollen welts on the skin.
a delayed reaction that can cause blisters and a rash.
less common, but serious is anaphylaxis - a severe allergic reaction.
Irukandji syndrome when you are stung by certain box jellyfish. You may experience severe pain, muscle cramps and heart problems.
You may get a wound infection if the sting penetrates the skin.
If you start sweating profusely, have chest or abdominal pain, or have difficulty breathing, seek immediate medical attention.

You might not expect it, but it is possible to do an internship or volunteer work with jellyfish. This involves, for example, research projects where you can help with observations from the beach, or volunteer work in the lab.

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