Tourists should be careful on the beaches of Pingtung County’s Kenting (墾丁), as a major jellyfish invasion has been reported in waters off the popular tourist area along the nation’s southern coast, the Kenting National Park administration said earlier this week.
A jellyfish invasion often occurs from May to July, when seasonal southwesterly winds tend to bring jellyfish to waters in the Kenting area, park administration official Tsai Feng-fu (蔡豐富) said.
The jellyfish invasion is most severe in waters off the Nanwan (南灣) area in Hengchun Township (恆春), while other coastal areas, such as Baisha (白沙), Dawan (大灣) and Hsiaowan (小灣), have also been affected, Tsai said.
Beaches in those areas are among the top attractions in Kenting.
The most commonly seen jellyfish in Kenting is the Portuguese man-of-war. The venomous jellyfish, whose tentacles appear blue to purple, is hard to detect because its color is similar to that of the sea.
When people get stung by the jellyfish, they do not usually feel it until they emerge from the water, and normally experience rashes and inflammation, Tsai said.
There are medical stations at Nanwan and Hsiaowan beaches where people stung by jellyfish can receive treatment.
In Baisha and Dawan, coastal patrol personnel can provide assistance in the event of an emergency, Tsai said.
Several cases of swimmers stung by jellyfish have been reported over the past week. Some received first-aid at the medical stations and others sought further medical treatment at area hospitals.
Tsai said most jellyfish stings can be treated by cleaning the affected area with water and then an ammonia solution.
In serious cases, jellyfish stings may lead to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing and even unconsciousness, the Hengchun Tourism Hospital in Pingtung County said.
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