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2008's Best Map Mashup Is...

It's been a while since we so enjoyed rooting for the bad guys. While the 2008 International Plague of Jellyfish ultimately never delivered, we'll always have our Jellyfish Invasion Map as a souvenir of those heady summer days when we stared the beach-pocalypse in the face.

A spin off of our Killer Beach reports, the Jellyfish Invasion affected supermodels, surfers and adorable children alike. Lucky for us, it looks like 2009 will be even worse for jelly attacks worldwide. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water...

Related Stories:
· Bar Refaeli Braves Killer Jellyfish in France [Jaunted]
· Man-Made Plague of Jellyfish to Terrorize Beaches for Years to Come [Jaunted]
· Kate Hudson Flees Killer Australian Jellyfish for NYC Clubs [Jaunted]

[Photo of jellies in the Monterey Aquarium: chuck12600]

Beaches / Beach Travel / Dangerous Travel / Jellyfish / → All Tags

Man-Made Plague of Jellyfish to Terrorize Beaches for Years to Come

Somebody out there must have offended the gods but good, because it's time for the latest plague upon the earth. This plague comes our way from jellyfish, those squishy, stinging invertebrates whose simple presence can ruin a day at the beach. According to Reuters, U.S. researchers have found that 150 million people are exposed to jellyfish every year, and by exposed, they mean stung. Ouch! Of that number, 200,000 people are stung in Florida alone, by more or less benign species of jellyfish. It's a different story in Australia, however. Long famous for having a huge concentration of animals that can kill you, 10,000 swimmers are stung each year by the Portuguese man-of-war, a scary name for an animal if there ever was one. As if it wasn't enough of a bummer to not be able to go swimming on your vacation, increasing jellyfish "blooms" threaten the global fishing industry as well. The saddest thing of all is that it's our own fault. Apparently, "human activities" are creating an environment where jellyfish proliferate while native fish die out for lack of food. I do human activities every day! Let's all resolve to halt these activities right away, so we might once again be able to swim without fear of jellyfish attack.

Related Stories:
· Report: Jellyfish Gone Wild Ruining Beaches [Reuters via msnbc.com]
· Beach Coverage [Jaunted]

Jellyfish-Invasion-Map / Jellyfish / Killer Beaches / Dangerous Travel / Animals / When Animals Attack / → All Tags

Killer Beaches: Jellyfish Hung out to Dry... For Now!

The incidence of jellyfish events this past week has dropped ever so slightly, heightening our paranoia that the jellies are amassing before a final virulent strike in the last weeks of summer.

While there were no out-and-out invasions this week, two smaller incidents deserve note: A fisherman died of cardiac arrest after being stung in Barangay Tiling, Philippines while out swimming with his brother. And on Hilbre Island off the coast of England near Liverpool, a 12-year-old and a 10-year-old girl were rushed to the hospital after incidental stings when one of them went into anaphylactic shock.

But! Just weeks after suffering more than 60 jellyfish stings, a Canadian long-distance swimmer is back in the water to swim the distance from Nova Scotia to New Brunswick today. The seriously brave lady, Jen Alexander, is completing the 22-hour swim to raise awareness for type 1 diabetes, which she has had for 20 years--she'll even test her blood sugar en route. Go, Jen, go! Before they strike again!

Our Jellyfish Invasion Map helps you track this summer's trendiest menace.

Related Stories:
· Jellyfish stings girls near Hilbre Island [Wirral Globe]
· Fisherman Dies from Jellyfish Sting [Inquirer]
· Marathon swimmer makes second attempt [Metronews.ca]
· Jellyfish Panic Continues Worldwide! [Jaunted]
· Bikini Travel: Bar Refaeli Braves Killer Jellyfish in France [Jaunted]

[Photo: marialynn]

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Killer Beaches: Jellyfish Panic Continues Worldwide!

Our fear of killer jellyfish has not abated since last week! The New York Times even got in on the trend with a Spanish scientist suggesting jellies are trying to send us the message "Look how badly you are treating me," making them sound like a M. Night Shyamalan menace.

After the jump, this week's updates on the insidious spread of what David Beard of the Boston Globe called "the cockroach of the ocean."

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Celeb Travel / Beaches / Bar Refaeli / Jellyfish / → All Tags

Bikini Travel: Bar Refaeli Braves Killer Jellyfish in France

Doesn't she know there's trouble in them thar waves? Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli frolics in the waves on the Plage de Pampelonne at Saint-Tropez, blissfully unaware of the giant cloud of jellyfish south of the French Riviera.

Naomi Campbell, Penelope Cruz and Bono have also recently been spotted at the elite Club 55 resort where Refaeli is staying after shooting a cross-country road trip with Tommy Hilfiger. Two of those people look great in bikinis.

Related Stories:
· Global Beach Panic: Jellyfish Will Kill Us All [Jaunted]
· Swimsuit Issue Travel: Is '08 The Year For Israel? [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Socialite Life]

Dangerous Travel / Beaches / Killer Beaches / Jellyfish / Animals / When Animals Attack / → All Tags

Global Beach Panic: Jellyfish Will Kill Us All!

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, a new marine threat has surfaced to rival sharks as the most dangerous to waterborne humans: Beaches around the world have seen an uptick in jellyfish attacks, with swarms of the gelatinous creatures swamping swimmers from Tampa to Thailand.

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Oahu / Jellyfish / Beaches / Animals / → All Tags

Box Jellyfish Invade Oahu Waters

West Oahu is experiencing a box jellyfish invasion. Lifeguards say they normally count about 40 box jellyfish on the western shore, but Wednesday they counted over 500.

The box jellyfish's sting attacks the heart, nervous system and skin cells. Stings are so powerful that victims have been known to go into shock and die of heart failure before they even have the chance to reach the shore.

The pale blue creatures routinely appear eight to 12 days after a full moon. Lifeguards will warn the public if there have been sightings. As of Thursday, Oahu's west and south shores are under a box jellyfish advisory. To find out the current beach safety conditions, consult the official Hawaii beach safety guide.

Sheila Beal is editor of www.GoVisitHawaii.com.

Related Stories:
· Oahu Stories [Jaunted]
· Hotels in Hawaii [HotelChatter]

[Photo: Honolulu Government]