Jellyfish? Sea Lice? In APRIL?????

[surfsup]

Someone please tell me this isn't true -

 

April is the season for Jellyfish and Sea Lice and last week some of the snorkeling excursions were cancelled because of this?

 

Is this the season in Costa Maya, Cozmel?

 

I leave Saturday.

[jlajla]

Well, I know that when we honeymooned in Grand Cayman the very beginning of May, there were MILLIONS (and I literally mean millions) of little thimble jellyfish in the water. It looked like seaweed... awall of brown... but they were tiny jellyfish. It was better in some places than others, but we did not get in the water at the hotel once. I hope that is not the case for you!

[gillmom2]

Is there a season for sea lice? We are going to St. Thomas and St. Maarten in November. Is this something we need to worry about? Do you need to wear bug spray or something? Any info would be great!:eek:

[janep]

You can buy this suntan lotion called Sea Safe. It works great. Last year when I was at Castaway Cay the jelly fish were stinging everyone but us!! I got it online. Just google a search for it.

[boingy300]

You can buy this suntan lotion called Sea Safe. It works great. Last year when I was at Castaway Cay the jelly fish were stinging everyone but us!! I got it online. Just google a search for it.

 

Having encountered a number of Jellyfish incidents....yes 1 slipped down my bathing suit at Coco cay. (Nothing like screaming and taking your suit off to get everyone's attention!) I am thrilled they have this product. I ordered a couple of bottles for our group. Thanks so much for this information. Those stings HURT! And having the RCCL guy spray me down w/ vinegar was so embarrassing! At Labadee we enocuntered a sm. mass of tiny jellyfish....they are called sea lice- now I've learned. When I first heard sea lice I thought of it like reg. lice. They weren't as bad, but it'll be nice to know I have a plan.

Thanks!

I went to http://www.lifestylesdirect.com

 

Karen

[K&RCurt]

There are two distinctivly different creatures that are refered to as "Sea Lice".

 

 

The one that is being refered to here is the larval form of thimble Jellyfish. see this link to learn more. http://www.fau.edu/safe/sea-lice.html

 

The other is a fish parasite that is particularly problematic to "sea farmed" salmon. Here is a link describing it. http://www.umaine.edu/livestock/Publications/sea_lice_bullets.htm

 

Jellyfish population surges at particular beaches can occur anytime between late March and August, depending on local sea conditions, water temperature etc.

[boingy300]

There are two distinctivly different creatures that are refered to as "Sea Lice".

 

 

The one that is being refered to here is the larval form of thimble Jellyfish. see this link to learn more. http://www.fau.edu/safe/sea-lice.html

 

The other is a fish parasite that is particularly problematic to "sea farmed" salmon. Here is a link describing it. http://www.umaine.edu/livestock/Publications/sea_lice_bullets.htm

 

Jellyfish population surges at particular beaches can occur anytime between late March and August, depending on local sea conditions, water temperature etc.

 

What great articles! thanks so much for the information. i guess what I saw at Labadee were just tiny thumbnail sized jellyfish (schools). This information is great, and will help me pack the 1st aid kit. Thanks so much!

Karen

[w&k]

Here's a link to another thread over on the Scuba and Snorkeling board for some more information about jellies.

 

Have a great trip!

 

Wendy

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=141630

[Emmabelle]

Just curious, we're cruising in two weeks and making a stop at Coco Cay, are the jellies prevelant right at the shoreline, my daughter won't even go in if she sees them. We saw them one year in Florida and she was losing it. :eek:

[jrlaurie]

Thanks for the info on Sea Safe suntan lotion, I just ordered 3 bottles. Here is a link to their website for info www.safesea.net, but I ordered it from www.lifestylesdirect.com, like the others did.

 

Thanks again,

 

Jessica

[ahoughton]

Thanks for the info on the Sea Safe. Didn't know they had such a thing. We always carry MSG (the food additive) for stings. I am allergic to wasp and bee stings and had some in the glove box in the car at the beach when the wife got stung by jelly fish. We gave it a try and it worked. Now it is also in our snorkling bag. Have shared it on several occasions with others.

[Candleonwater]

Really random question here... at Labadee last week, I was in the water and felt a burning sensation on my arm. There was nothing there, then a few minutes later a small welt (maybe the size of a rice, but round) showed up. The welt eventually went away the same afternoon, but the burning sensation stayed. Any idea what might have gotten me? I got two of these.

[shipknotshore]

Well, another item (Safe Sea lotion) that will need to be packed. I'm so glad I read these boards. Just hoping that the lotion works if we need it. Thanks for the helpful info.

[ngray]

Get safe sea lotion, make sure to apply it under your swim suit because that is where they will sting. We used it last April when we were in Cancun and Did not have a problem with the sea lice. The life guard there kept bugging me to give him our lotion when we were ready to leave. So it must work since the locals wanted it.

 

Nancy

[cincicruisers]

Ok, they are a busy website tonight. I also ordered some. Better safe than sorry. Thanks for the information.

[jrlaurie]

Well as I said before I ordered the Sea Safe lotion, but got an email saying it was on back order. I called to find out when they think it will ship out, she say's hoping to have it to ship by the middle of this month. I'll keep my fingers crossed that I have it by May.

 

Jessica

[shipknotshore]

I ordered ours thru lifestylesdirect today and there was nothing noted about it being on back order. Since it only comes in 4oz. bottles I was a bit nervous about maybe running out because of having to use it even under your swimwear so I went ahead and ordered 3 bottles. Got free shipping for ordering 3 bottles and they said I'd have it in 2-3 business days.

[zuscruiserz]

Thx for the tip - I ordered some too!!!

[kamari]

I went to Cozumel last year in April & got bit so bad. I don't know if they were sand fleas or sea lice. I end up putting white tube socks on and they were little black bugs. To me they looked like black fleas.

[shipknotshore]

Received an email stating my lotion is now on back order. DH wrote back that we needed it by 4/27/05....if not cancel the order. Sure hope we get it on time. Read in the link posted earlier that it looks like black pepper in the water..so i guess you could think it was sand fleas too. Neither sounds great as I'm allergic to fleas!!

[dgund]

If you are concerned about Sea Safe being back ordered and possibly not arriving before you cruise, you can always buy it from your local dive shop. That's where we get ours.

[surfsup]

Got back from Costa Maya in April. On the beach at the edge of the water there were 1000's of little brown circle stuff.

 

At first glance, they looked like the stuff that blows from the trees into the water and I didn't think anything about it.

 

When someone told me what they were baby jelly fish I was very apprehensive about going in. They did NOT sting. They really don't even move that much. Frankly, if someone had not told me what they were, I wouldn't have given them a second thought.

 

It's only when they grow up that they bother you.

[gumballz]

Is there an expiration on this product? I'd like to buy some now but won't need it until April of 2006. Also, which is better the sunblock or lotion? (or does it matter)