Lion's Mane Jellyfish Washing Up Could Still Sting: Oregon Coast Visitors Should Be Careful

Published 8/10/24 at 5:25 a.m.
By Andre' GW Hagestedt, Oregon Coast Beach Connection

(Lincoln City, Oregon) - Getting stung by a jellyfish is a lot worse for people who are sensitive to that sort of thing, and the ugly part of that is you don't know you're sensitive until it happens to you. (Photos April Gleason)

Luckily, along the Oregon coast there's not a lot of those prickly jellies around, but there's a few. The one that can cause harm has been washing up lately on these beaches, such as the one April Gleason found in Lincoln City this week. Lion's mane jellies have been popping up here and there along the coastline, and Gleason's report is one of the few with photos.

What makes that a bit problematic is that the Lion's mane (Cyanea capillata) jellyfish can actually sting when it's dead and lying on a beach. On the plus side, that only happens if they still have their tentacles, but on the not-so-good side just touching a dead jelly can affect those who are sensitive.

Tiffany Boothe of Seaside Aquarium confirmed the one photographed by Gleason was a Lion's mane.

Gleason's photo shows some of the tentacles still there, which could be a problem

“Yes, if they have tentacles they can still sting once washed ashore,” Boothe told Oregon Coast Beach Connection. “Since their stinging cells, nematocysts, are concentrated on their tentacles, if they no longer have tentacles it is unlikely that you will get stung. However, I would recommend avoiding touching them regardless.”

Boothe said she's also heard reports of a few around the region's beaches, and she added that those with allergies may have to deal with some unpleasant issues.

“The sting can be painful but is usually not serious, however people can have allergic reactions which could result in seeking medical attention,” she said.

Gleason said she found this one in that rather remote section of Lincoln City between the D River and the Canyon St. access.

She didn't see any others of these around – there have been reports of multiple landings on some beaches. Others have simply found pieces of the Lion's mane and posted photos of the parts lying around, which follows other jelly sightings on these sands.

“I did see part of what I thought were moon jelly fish clear in color,” Gleason said. “There have been a lot of parts of jelly fish like this and also tan colored small pieces.”

Photo Seaside Aquarium's Tiffany Boothe: a lion's mane in the ocean near Oceanside

Lion's manes are actually rather huge: they can get up to six feet when spread out in the water, but their tentacles can reach over 100 feet around them in more extreme cases.

They're not exactly rare along these waters, but they are rather sparsely populated. Most of their numbers are farther up north around Alaska. Finding them here on the beaches doesn't happen often, however. More Gnarly Oregon Coast Find That Can Sting Badly: Lions Mane Jellyfish

“They are not uncommon to the area,” Boothe said. “Certain ocean conditions can cause localized blooms resulting in specific areas having a higher concentration of the species than normal.”

An even weirder fact – or possible fact – about the Lion's mane is that it may be bioluminescent sometimes. It's not proven, though. But how that happens is really odd: that may be because of what they eat. Jim Burke of Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport told Oregon Coast Beach Connection they consume a fair amount of glowing, deeper-dwelling fish, and that could cause the ability to glow.

Talk about “you are what you eat”.....

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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