More The tourists used to This summer, the summer fun was interrupted (but not stopped) as jellyfish numbers bloomed on the Delaware coast.
The Beach Patrol captain reported a sharp increase in jellyfish activity and sting in July, the most they have seen in recent memory. Lewis Beach reports that the sting has increased fourfold compared to 2024.
The lion’s mane can have 100 feet (30 meters) of tentacles, sea nettles and moon jellyfish, and are some of the varieties that are common in Delaware’s summer waters.
Jellyfish blooming is already common Maine to Florida In recent years. warming Water can create ideal conditions for jellyfish growth.
Typically, five Delaware state parks may report some summer jellyfish stings, said Bailey Noel, captain of the Beach Patrol. But Fenwick Island State Park recently reported 92 stings in a July day. Noel said three lifeguards were taken to emergency care after swimming in jellyfish-infected water.
She said the jellyfish at Delaware Tower Beach surprised Philadelphia resident Christina Jones, whose two daughters refused to wade after being stinged.
“Jellyfish are terrible,” Jones said. “Not only are they a lot of numbers, they are big.”
Noel said Delaware Beach Patrol began tracking jellyfish this year due to the increase in cases. Most patrols do not track data.
Captain Strom Edwards said the Lewis Beach Patrol collected 295 stings in 2024, but reported 1,200 cases so far in 2025. Lifeguards began carrying vinegar solutions that could neutralize poison agents to relieve pain, he said.
However, according to some studies, vinegar solutions may cause the barbs of the micro-venom coating to be discharged. These experts recommend using baking soda.
Although poisonous, the sting of the lion’s mane and sea nettle in Delaware usually only causes minor irritation and pain, Edwards said. In the case of severe allergic reactions and symptoms – nausea, vomiting and difficulty breathing – lifeguards can help.
Retired marine biologist Gisele Muller-Parker said it was not uncommon for jellyfish to bloom and suddenly fluctuate in jellyfish populations, and he counted dozens of lions’ mane jellyfish during his daily Lewis Beach stroll in July. Temperature, salinity and food availability can affect the breeding of jellyfish, and in warmer waters, populations can explode.
“This year, we’ve never seen anything like this,” Muller-Parker said.
The jellyfish is approaching the end of its life cycle, completing the reproductive phase and laying eggs. Those jellyfish will die once the water is cooler, said Keith Bayha, a research collaborator at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History.
Bayha said the jellyfish boom could damage the ecosystem and marine industries, and he studied the animals for more than 20 years and helped identify nettles. Fish larvae mainly feed on plankton, but jellyfish can eat plankton and fish. Bayha said the jellyfish food chain has few natural predators and is an ecological dead end.
Delaware’s prosperity this summer is far from being alone. Volusia County, Florida, reported hundreds of stings on Memorial Day weekend weekend. Gloucester, Massachusetts, reminds people to stay safe around jellyfish in mid-July. In June, the Ogunquette Fire Department in Maine warned beach audiences that the increase in jellyfish was reported.
Jellyfish research is limited, but Muller-Parker hopes to do more to assess the ecological consequences of jellyfish blooming and improve safety consultations.
For now, some unfortunate beach players will have to rely on home remedies, and for Massachusetts resident Kathy Malloy-Harder, a little brave.
“When he was stung, he jumped up and started crying and said, ‘I will never go back to the beach again.’ But after talking about it, she said, “Once the sting subsides, he is interested in coming back to enjoy the beach.” ”
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Whittle reports from Portland, Maine.
