So, what's up with all those jellyfish last week? (Isle of Palms: beaches, lifeguard)

[moneill]

As for a rough hurricane season -- two months into it, 1/3 rd of the season gone -- and so far -- not too much happening out there. Let's keep it that way.

Isn't the thing with hurricane season -- you just need one good hurricane -- the rest of the season could be dead quiet but that one good one could make a big enough mess?

[Geechie North]

Originally Posted by moneill

As for shark incidents -- isn't that a bit of media hype. Growing up in Bermuda we never had any sharks near the beach...not that I remember. Now I know that we hear reports up and down the gulf coast and Atlantic coast of shark bites but I thoughtthat the rate of occurence of shark bites is no greater this year than past years....just we hear more about them.

Stingray sting -- never had one yet. I've seen the stingrays swimming around in Florida but never got stung...maybe I do the stingray shuffle automatically. Again -- not something we had in Bermuda. i didn't think there were much here.

You know what I wonder -- and you fishermen type guys can maybe answer me on this...when we are all at the beach, surfing, skimming, boogying, wading....and there's that one guy who is fishing -- isn't he kind of inviting predators to come and get us. I resent a guy fishing on the beach right next to his kid surfing the waves. Forget about the safety thing with the hook, etc. what about attracting small sharks.

Lived at the beach growing up; every minute I could get there.
Never saw/thought about sting rays, although a couple of years back did see a Leopard Ray (big sucker) in about 2' water at Folly.

Sharks are a part of the ocean. If they thought of humans as prey, every day would have the bodycount of a Coen Bros movie. Obviously, that ain't the case.

But as far as swimming/surfing near people fishing, well, reason it out:

Sharks are predators. They are attracted to the vibrations (via their Lateral Line) of fish in distress. Fish hooked are in distress.


So........................

Good luck to you guys during hurricane season- remember the peak is Sept.

[calgirlinnc]

Great. 6 days til we move into our house on IOP. And, it's "Shark Week", too, and hubby is insisting on watching every minute of it.

Maybe we should have picked West Ashley....

[calgirlinnc]

Did you all hear about the beach at Chatham, MA, being closed because of 3 Great Whites?

[Geechie North]

Originally Posted by calgirlinnc

Did you all hear about the beach at Chatham, MA, being closed because of 3 Great Whites?

Story being reported is that the seal population along that stretch of coast is expanding; Great Whites feed on marine mammals more than most species of shark.

So, it would not be a good time to slip-on a wetsuit and go spearfishing.

In Mass., at least.

[pokrplr]

Originally Posted by calgirlinnc

Did you all hear about the beach at Chatham, MA, being closed because of 3 Great Whites?

Jaws! Lived there for several years, thanks for that info

[Geechie North]

Originally Posted by pokrplr

Jaws! Lived there for several years, thanks for that info

We're gonna need a bigger boat................ and a better script.

[pokrplr]

Originally Posted by moneill

As for a rough hurricane season -- two months into it, 1/3 rd of the season gone -- and so far -- not too much happening out there. Let's keep it that way.

Isn't the thing with hurricane season -- you just need one good hurricane -- the rest of the season could be dead quiet but that one good one could make a big enough mess?

You can't count June or July for bad hurricane's...The worst is late Aug - Sept. And yep, 1 good one is all it takes! ... Charleston's days are and have been numbered... Like a ticking time bomb.... Its gonna happen again

[calgirlinnc]

Originally Posted by pokrplr

Charleston's days are and have been numbered... Like a ticking time bomb.... Its gonna happen again

Yeah, but The Weather Channel ran a story a month or so ago about the 5 US cities most overdue for a major hurricane....Miami was #1 on the list. The others included Savannah, NYC, New Jersey shore and... shoot, I can't think of the other one but I think it was Houston. Charleston wasn't on the list. Not sayin' you're wrong; just adding to the discussion.

[Another Beach Bum]

For those fearing the jellies, get a lycra body suit. While they are quite thin, these suits are thick enough to prevent jellies from stinging through the material. They're as cheap as $27 for an adult size. Also, they have the benefit of providing some UV protection. I admit, it does get a bit expensive if you need to outfit an entire family.

Australian life guards wear lycra now because they have to deal with the dreaded box jellyfish (sea wasp), one of the most venomous creatures known to man. Before the invention of lycra, even the male lifeguards wore two sets of pantyhose: one set over the waist/legs, and the other set inverted to cover the arms and torso. Prudence was the better part of valor there! Certainly won't see that on Baywatch, lol.

Lycra won't do much to keep you safe from sharks. For that, get a cage or sit on the beach and read a good book.