Poisonous jellyfish threaten tourists at Parangtritis Beach

The Jakarta Post, Bantul, Yogyakarta Fri, 06/22/2012


The Search and Rescue (SAR) team at Parangtritis Beach in Kretek, Bantul, Yogyakarta, has warned people to beware of the Portuguese man-of-war in the area.

The team’s secretary, Taufik M Faki, said the poison released by the jellyfish was not deadly, but caused itchiness and a burning sensation. “That is why we call on tourists to be cautious,” Taufik said on Thursday.

He said that dozens of tourists had been stung by Portuguese man-of-war over the past few weeks, some of whom fainted from the pain.

Portuguese man-of-war, or blue bottles, according to Taufik, could be found along the sandy coastal area in Bantul at the beginning of the dry season, carried by strong winds that carry them to the beach.

“This usually happens from June to August,” Taufik said.

Portuguese man-of-war, he said, could be seen as bluish bubbles in the water. Yet, sometimes they were difficult to see due to waves.

With the start of the school holidays, the Parangtritis SAR team is on duty at the beach 24 hours a day as an anticipatory measure, Taufik said. “Sometimes tourists just ignore the flags banning swimming,” he said.

Local fisherman Saronto suggested that first aid could be done for a Portuguese man-of-war sting by rubbing the stung part with balm or cooking oil.

“There is also a natural antidote for the sting, namely jingking. Just rub them in the palms of the hand until they are smooth enough to rub on the sting,” said Saronto, referring to the local name of small crabs.