Sir, – With water temperatures along the Irish coastline rising, bathers’ thoughts turn to the perennial threat posed by jellyfish – from the relatively minor irritation of itchy skin and a rash to the more urgent need for first aid.
Unfortunately, the sea creatures that prey on jellyfish along the Irish coastline are few and far between.
Green sea turtles eat the highly venomous box jellyfish but they prefer the warmer waters of the Caribbean, Far East and Australia. Tuna, ocean sunfish, penguins, some species of sharks and humpback whales consume various types of jellyfish but again, they are not everyday visitors to our shoreline.
Perhaps our best hope of keeping the shoals of jellyfish at bay on Irish beaches this summer is to pool our resources and rely on the good services of jellyfish-eating hermit crabs.
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Fingers crossed, they’ll get out more often in the coming months! – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL CULLEN,
Sandycove,
Co Dublin.
