The weather is hot and school is almost out, so that means it’s time to hit the beaches. With everything to remember, like beach towels, sand toys, sunscreen and water bottles, it’s easy to overlook one essential item that should always accompany a trip to the beach: a first-aid kit for jellyfish stings. The kit should include vinegar or rubbing alcohol, gloves, tweezers and something with a straight edge like a credit card. 

Most beachgoers know jellyfish as those gelatinous circular creatures that float around in the ocean. If one is familiar with the Chesapeake Bay and the surrounding waters, then one knows that jellyfish, specifically the sea nettle, aren’t just found in the ocean. They are in the rivers, creeks and tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay, and there are more sea nettles in the Chesapeake Bay than anywhere in the world. Even though sea nettles are non-aggressive marine creatures and are an important part of the bay ecosystem, they are well known for their ability to ruin a good time.

Sea nettles are bell-shaped and have long tentacles covered in venomous sacs called nematocyst. These are used to incapacitate their prey, which include comb jellies, small crustaceans, fish and microscopic organisms, so that they may then be consumed. The sea nettles range in size from 1/25 of an inch when first active to 8 inches in diameter, with tentacles reaching up to six feet long.