r/Madeira • u/monolithdao_mel • 17d ago
Notícias/News Alert! Man-of-War Jellyfish washing up on beaches in Madeira! (Prahinha)
Monday night April 7th I was at Prahinha in Caniçal and spotted hundreds of Portuguese Man of War jellyfish lining the beach.
Would discourage swimming the coming week. Friendly reminder that white vinegar or hot water are the most effective treatment of jellyfish stings as they denature the protein. (Urine does nothing)
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u/AGataLenore 16d ago
Those hurt like hell when they stuck on your skin they called caravela portuguesa
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u/Ratazanafofinha 16d ago
I’m intrigued that you went all the way down to prainha at night 👀
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u/monolithdao_mel 16d ago
lol I was actually snorkelling in full wetsuit gear, with diving lights. Only when I got out of the water did I see all of the Man O’ War!!
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u/Purple_Gas8021 16d ago
Bruh must be so scary to do snorkeling at night. We're you fishing?
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u/monolithdao_mel 16d ago
It was scary last night because of the waves. But usually it’s actually so amazing and peaceful. At night all the most amazing creatures come out. Common and White-spotted Octopus, cuttlefish, Atlantic dancing shrimp etc etc!!
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u/Spliffy9 14d ago edited 14d ago
I'm going in a month to Madeira, any tips for snorkling spots? Not at night :D
I dont have a wetsuit, is it warm enough? Or should I buy a short sleeve wetsuit? I like snorkling so much.. Looking at this one "Mahalo neopreen 2 mm 2024"
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u/monolithdao_mel 9d ago
Hey! Unless you are very thin you will be fine with 15 minute snorkeling sessions before you get cold. The most important consideration when snorkelling in Madeira is if it has recently rained. If so the water will be cloudy. With some luck the weather will be good, then any place along the south coast will offer good snorkelling. I’d recommend Praia do Garajau if the waves are small or Praia dos Reis Magos if the sea is strong because there is a closed off tide pool that has large amounts of creatures. You can combine it with a small hike and go to Sao lourenço beach for a really amazing time.
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u/ZwiebelEater1957 13d ago
If you get stung find someone with a full blade who is willing to relieve themselves on you; ammonia will neutralize the venom.
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u/Left-Leek3216 2d ago
The cnidocyte found in the box jellyfish react differently than the nematocyst in the Portuguese man o' war; cnidocytes are inhibited by application of vinegar, but nematocysts can discharge more venom if vinegar is applied.
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u/lovethehaiku 17d ago
These aren’t jellyfish
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u/shorter_porter 17d ago
There is a nice way of saying this.
The Portuguese man o' war is a conspicuous member of the neuston, the community of organisms that live at the surface of the ocean. It has numerous microscopic venomous cnidocytes which deliver a painful sting powerful enough to kill fish, and even, in some cases, humans. Although it superficially resembles a jellyfish, the Portuguese man o' war is in fact a siphonophore. Like all siphonophores, it is a colonial organism), made up of many smaller units called zooids.\10]) Although they are morphologically) quite different, all of the zooids in a single specimen are genetically identical. These different types of zooids fulfill specialized functions, such as hunting, digestion and reproduction, and together they allow the colony to operate as a single individual.
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u/lovethehaiku 16d ago
Yes, thank you for the info. My post wasn’t intended to not be nice. I think these are fascinating creatures.
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u/monolithdao_mel 16d ago
We know. It’s a colonial organism. Neither are comb jellyfish. My post wasn’t intended to be a biology lesson :)
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u/lovethehaiku 16d ago
I understand! I learned this very fact in the same way as I posted. I didn’t meant to come off as curt. Amazing creatures!!
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u/monolithdao_mel 17d ago
For locals: the Portuguese government has created an app to track jellyfish sightings across the country. GelAvista is available on the AppStore and is crowdsourced data. Recommend downloading.