Is there a jellyfish season in Florida?

When is Jellyfish Season? In the Florida Keys, the jellyfish season is typically between late August through April. It is easy to avoid them if there aren't too many around since they usually travel with the water currents.



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The heaviest concentrations of jellyfish occur on the Atlantic Ocean side of Florida and in the Panhandle region on the Gulf coast. The lower Gulf Coast peninsula--from the Tampa area south to Marco Island--seems to have fewer jellyfish.

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The heaviest concentrations of jellyfish occur on the Atlantic Ocean side of Florida and in the Panhandle region on the Gulf coast. The lower Gulf Coast peninsula--from the Tampa area south to Marco Island--seems to have fewer jellyfish.

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Jellyfish are common in Florida, but they are not everywhere all of the time. I have been swimming in the Gulf of Mexico for my whole life and I've never been stung by a jellyfish. If you keep your eyes open they are easy to avoid. Sometimes, in some locations, a large mass of jellyfish will “invade” the beach.

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While most jellyfish do not sting, Florida has several species (including those pictured) that sting. Contact with tentacles (even those that have broken off) can cause red, raised streaky welts that can last from 1-2 weeks and cause severe pain, tingling, itching, and even nausea and headache.

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Here are four ways you can prevent jellyfish stings:
  1. Use caution when swimming during jellyfish season, or don't swim at all. Jellyfish season will differ depending on your location. ...
  2. Swim at beaches with lifeguards. ...
  3. Protect yourself with a wet suit, a protective suit, or jellyfish repellent. ...
  4. Know how to spot a jellyfish.


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Why are there so many jellyfish in Florida right now? Until a shift in the weather comes with rainfall and a northern wind, Wehrhahn said the jellyfish will stick around. Jellyfish can move up and down in a water current column but are not strong enough to fight it.

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Talk to lifeguards, local residents or officials with a local health department before swimming or diving in coastal waters, especially in areas where jellyfish are common. Avoid water during jellyfish season. Stay out of the water in jellyfish areas when jellyfish numbers are high.

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It gets weirder. The name of the blob is “Sea Pork.” “Sea Pork is what scientists call a colonial tunicate,” said James Douglass, Associate Professor at Florida Gulf Coast University's The Water School. “It's a rubbery, invertebrate animal that lives in the ocean.”

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When is Jellyfish Season? In the Florida Keys, the jellyfish season is typically between late August through April. It is easy to avoid them if there aren't too many around since they usually travel with the water currents.

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