Spending a peaceful time on the serene Goa beaches is an ideal vacation plan. But this can turn into a nightmare. For the last three months, the state’s beaches have witnessed increasing jellyfish activities. And also incidents involving jellyfish. The count of jellyfish stinging incidents hit eight hundred and fifty and currently increasing. A government-appointed body of lifesavers has been rescuing an average of eight people daily.
Jellyfish Population Increasing On Goa Beaches
People across India and abroad travel to Goa to visit the beaches. However, the increasing activity of jellyfish near the coastline has raised concern. There has been an increase in the stinging incidents involving these jellyfish and many people have suffered. As per the reports, there were one hundred and forty cases reported in North Goa, while South Goa witnessed seven hundred and ten cases.
As for the beaches, Colva beach reported one hundred and eighty incidents. While Betalbatim alone had two hundred and twenty-five incidents reported. The tourist hotspot Calangute-Baga reported sixty of these incidents. Zalor and Benaulim beaches had reported fifty incidents each.
Drishti Lifesavers To The Rescue
The most disturbing event regarding jellyfish happened at the swimathon event in South Goa where one hundred and twenty-five participants were stung by these jellyfish. And they were attended to by Drishti lifesavers. According to the lifesavers, jellyfish sting can cause mild irritation and is harmless, however, this depends on the species. In rare cases, jellyfish stings can be dangerous.
The lifesavers use vinegar spray to treat the victims. They have towers of vinegar spray stocked at all times. They also have tweezers ready to pluck out the tentacles. The Drishti lifesavers are trained to provide emergency first aid to the affected crowd. Currently, tourists and locals are advised to exercise caution and stay away from the shoreline.
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Jellyfish have long tentacles that are poisonous and can inject into your body. This can cause pain and inflamed marks on the body.
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