Summer is drawing to a close and I have to say I hardly got any diving in. The sad state of affairs when you live in New York City and your nearest body of water is the Hudson River. But a buddy of mine who dives and who moved to Europe a little bit ago mentioned to me that there was an epidemic in European waters. No, not cholera or the plague … or at least not a plague in the traditional terms. In this case, Europe this past summer was plagued by jellyfish. Now, anyone who has ever dived and gotten stuck in a bloom of jellies or stinging nettles knows that the experience can be horrible. I’ve had it happen in Mexico. And more, scientist say that things might only get worse with a rise in global temperates.
Still they also say that the species reaching European beaches aren’t thought to be lethal to humans, but some of them, like the purple jellyfish, can sting like the dickens and can cause an allergic reaction. According to this piece over at National Geographic, the Spanish Red Cross says that they’ve treated more than 19,000 bathers for jellyfish stings in the famous Costa Brava resort region alone.
So while we are easing our way into summer, folks who thought a last dash to Europe for some beach fun, might have to think again.