Jellyfish Swarm New York Harbor

(Above: Jellyfish Lake. See a video here).

Participants in the annual New York City Triathlon got a rather nasty surprise this past Sunday. The swimming portion of the competition required taking a long dip in the Hudson River. (Side note: Ewwwwww.) When they plunged into the refreshing (slightly smelly) waters, the athletes were surprised to discover that they weren't alone. The river was filled with thousands upon thousands of jellyfish.

Yes. This is HIGHLY unusual. In fact, I'd never even HEARD of jellyfish in New York Harbor until a visiting friend (hi Lili) told me that she'd spotted a number of the beasts floating near the piers at South Street Seaport. Unfortunately, they all disappeared by the time I got down there to take a look.

But they were back in full force on Sunday. And no one had warned the triathletes. Dozens were stung. In an interview given to the New York Times, one participant said, "I was in the middle of a stroke, and whammo, it bit me right in the face; the pain spread across the side of my face and down my neck. Everyone was talking about the jellyfish after the race.”

Now, authorities are wondering if the jellyfish may have played a role in the tragic death of one of the triathletes--a thirty-two-year-old Argentinean man who had to be pulled from the water. Scientists say it's unlikely. The two most common kinds of jellyfish in New York waters are moon jellies and lions mane jellyfish. Both can cause a nasty sting, but neither is known to be deadly. But I have a feeling that if I were to unsuspectingly jump into a river filled with jellyfish, I might need to be rescued, too.

Couldn't someone have given them a heads up?




Read more here, here and here.