Jellyfish seem to have left

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Seeing a jellyfish in the water while you are swimming can make your knees turn to jelly, because they can sting you painfully.

Last week the Mossel Bay Advertiser reported on its website that there were jellyfish in the Poort - a favourite Mossel Bay swimming spot at the Point in town. The Poort was closed for swimming last week because of the jellyfish.

Photographs and a video were taken of the fascinating creatures which displayed luminous colours and graceful, flowing movements in the water. They are small jellyfish and people wonder if they are juveniles or simply a small species of jellyfish.

Mossel Bay resident Kosie Gericke said on Tuesday, 4 February: "I swam in the Poort yesterday and did not see the jellyfish at first, but then realised they were under the waves, under the foam." Kosie said there were not as many jellyfish as there were last week.

Juanita Terblanche said: "I saw many jellyfish last week. There were also some dead ones. I think they were trapped in the Poort and could not get out."

Today, 4 February, no jellyfish could be seen at the Poort.

It was a sweltering 27° C - good weather for swimming.

Municipal spokesperson Nickey le Roux still urged swimmers to be cautious: "Jellyfish - much like bluebottles - may be more evident in the Poort at times because of rough seas and conditions on the open ocean.

"The Poort is a channel that is open to the sea, so there is no way of knowing whether there will be jellyfish or blue bottles in the swimming area.

"The Mossel Bay Municipality urges bathers to always be careful when swimming in the ocean, especially during or after rough seas."

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