Friday, March 14, 2008

Jellyfish in the Gulf

I was asked about my jellyfish experience, and this is what I remember:

I was swimming at night in the Gulf of Mexico.  The water was delightfully warm like bathwater and the air somewhat cool with evening and I was very relaxed, swimming and floating in the dark water.  Suddenly I felt shockingly painful stings something like bee stings only at the time they seemed worse.    I screamed and flailed and got stung more and ran out as fast as I could--I was covered with JELLYFISH STINGS which continued to hurt for quite some times.  This was in 1965 (or 66), so I don't remember all the details.  I do know this, the water was very shallow--long ways out, and I got stung again on my way back in on the legs--and was told swimming at night was a bad idea because you couldn't see the jellyfish which otherwise you'd avoid.

8 comments:

a/k/a Nadine said...

I've always been afraid of unseen jellyfish. When I lived in Florida I'd run from the water every time I saw what turned out to be a plastic bag...

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

Back in 1965, there weren't as many plastic bags in the water.

But it's hard to see at night!

Coffeypot said...

Did you live?

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

I seem to be breathing.

Fortune Cookies said...

yikes, jelly fish always creep me out. I read about little tiny jelly fish,Irukandji, once and although he lives in Australia, I always worry that one has made it's way up here when I'm in the water.
I imagine I'd be traumatized too if I'd of had your jellyfish experience.

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

I got stung again years later, but not as badly as that first time.

bluerose said...

I got stung once. I was told it was a blue bottle sting. They call them Man-O-Wars here in the states. It didn't hurt at first, but when I got out of the water, it started to burn, and I noticed the welt across my leg. Fifteen minutes later the muscle started to cramp and spasm. The spasming lasted for about 30 or 40 minutes. I couldn't walk. I feel your pain.

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

WOW! That sounds painful and upsetting and scary.