The Sea Stings Back
By LISA ABEND AND GEOFF PINGREE
Sunday, Aug. 13, 2006

Stifling heat, sunburn — to the peculiar pleasures of Spain's beaches in August, add the sting of the jellyfish. In the last couple of weeks, fleets of bloblike Pelagia noctiluca have reached beaches from Barcelona to Málaga.

In Catalonia alone, the Red Cross has treated 14,044 bathers for the painful stings. Local governments in Benidorm and elsewhere have posted signs in three languages warning of the dangers. The Interior Ministry has publicized advice for those who are stung — wash the affected area with salt water, don't rub it, seek assistance. (In rare cases, an allergic reaction to the sting can prove deadly.) The Environment Ministry is sending out boats armed with large nets to snare the jellyfish before they reach shallow water.

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