"AGUA MALA"...Jellyfish?

[WAXIEDOS]

Being a “snorkelin’ fool” and living here in Playa, my daily routine is riding my bike to Coco Beach, walking about a ½ mile north on the beach and swimming out to our fabulous Zubul Reef. For the past several days, the water has not been very inviting since it is full of jillions of little round jellyfish-like creatures. Thousands of them are even washing ashore onto the sand! I’ve been told that they are called “agua mala” and are a seasonal occurrence here. Does anyone know the extent of their visit and how much of the Q.Roo coast they cover (I was at Punta Venado two days ago, and they’re none there!) Is it just Playa?
What problems, if any, can I expect when coming in contact with these little guys (or gals?)

[BMK1951]

They sound like the same ones that used to clog the beaches of Barnegat Bay in New Jersey (USA) where I used to live. They didn't sting but were just plain icky. The only nice thing is at night they used to light up sections of the bay with their bioluminessence. Not seeing the critters you mention, this is just a guess. For all I know they could be baby Portugese Man-O-War. Do they have tenticles? Is the jelly part shaped a little like a sail? Those are charateristics of MOW.

If they are the stinging kind, medusa, man-o-war or other, the cure is the same: Adolph's Meat Tenderiser or in a pinch have someone pee on the bite. The amonia in human urine neutralizes the sting

[Critter]

It is hit and miss, where they show up. Jelly fish larvae is what they are and last a couple of weeks. They tend to gather in the edges of bathings suits, waist bands, bikini tops, straps etcetera.

Best solution is to swim commando, and they have no place to reside. second best is to shower immediately after exposure and wash your suit with hot water and bleach. Allow to dry before you use it again. If available a dip in a chlorinated pool before the shower helps as well.

[divepuertomorelos]

I second the above advice they do sting a little when they get caught up on you - our dive masters have ring marks at the neck - so wearing as little as possible is good and yes the solutions are rinse as soon as possible and if you sting then white vinegar helps, urine is best and xylocaine gets rid of the irritation temporarily. They do not seem to be predictable and will go away soon.

[james]

please do a search for sea lice. this has been discussed ad nauseum.

there is a link to factual, scientific information on another post. most of what you hear about this is not accurate, old wives' tales, etc. For example, what you were told is incorrect. The agua mala is the larvae of the jellyfish. You are seeing adult thimble jellyfish.