While many people might be wondering how safe it is to visit the beach during the coronavirus pandemic, COVID-19 isn’t the only potentially dangerous consideration when visiting your local beach, at least, if you live in Massachusetts. 

No, we’re not talking about sunburns, the change of drowning or getting bitten by a shark. There is a new threat in the water at Nahant Beach – giant jellyfish.

Lion’s mane jellyfish can measure 5 feet across, and they can sting you if they’re dead or alive. Watch the video below for more information about these dangerous, and huge, jellyfish. 

As of Friday, nobody had been stung, but there was still a purple flag warning at Nahant Beach. A purple flag warning lets visitors know that dangerous animals may be present in the water. Many beachgoers seemed to enjoy their time at the beach without worrying about the possibility of a giant jellyfish in the water, but it definitely doesn’t hurt to know what to do if you or someone you know gets stung by a jellyfish.

First, if you suspect that you’ve been stung by a jellyfish, it’s important to get out of the water right away. It’s also a good idea to have a bottle of vinegar with you because you can use the vinegar to clean the infected area. If you don’t have vinegar, salt water works too. Remove any jellyfish tenticals and soak the area that was stung in hot water for 20 minutes or so. Finally, to help with pain, you can apply an over-the-counter steroid or antihistamine cream. If you choose to visit your doctor, he or she can prescribe something stronger if necessary.

Did you know jellyfish could measure up to 5 feet across? Would you visit the beach even if you knew lion’s mane jellyfish might be in the water?