They chose the beaches of southern Finistère as their destination for the All Saints’ Day holidays. In recent days, tens or even hundreds of thousands of jellyfish have invaded the seaside in Cornwall, in the country from Concarneau to the Bay of Audierne. Stranded on the sand, these gelatinous animals bear the sweet scholarly name of Pelagia Noctilucaor also that of “mauve-pricker”. In reference to their color, which can sometimes turn brown or ocher-pink, but also to the burns they inflict on swimmers or walkers.
These stinging jellyfish usually sail in the warmer waters of the Mediterranean or the tropical Atlantic. Stirred up by the first tropical storms, they landed in Breton waters. “A phenomenon which is not abnormal”, according to Dominique Barthélémy, curator at Océanopolis in Brest. “It’s quite classic at the end of summer or at the beginning of autumn to see jellyfish wash up on the Breton coasts,” he assures, also highlighting the increase in the jellyfish population in all the waters of the planet due to climate change.
A jellyfish that “remains stinging even dead”
Although the sight of these jellyfish fascinates every time, we advise you not to approach them and especially to touch them. Especially the Pelagia Noctiluca which “remains stinging even dead”, specifies the scientist. They can cause simple burns but also more serious allergic reactions. “It depends on people’s sensitivity but some can experience anaphylactic shock,” emphasizes Dominique Barthélémy.
In the event of a sting, he advises putting dry sand on the skin and scraping with a piece of plastic or a bank card to loosen the stuck stinging filaments. And you should not hesitate to seek medical advice if the burn affects a sensitive area or is particularly painful.