Thousands of jellyfish flooded the small beach of Puerto Andratx on Monday, dragged in by the weekend storm that brought hundreds of specimens of the Pelagia noctiluca species to the coast.
"If there's a strong and lasting storm, pelagias come from the open sea to the coast. Whenever there are storms from the Mestral or Ponent directions, jellyfish enter Andratx," explained Antoni Grau, the Balearic government's director general of fisheries last week. Although the invasion of jellyfish on the coast of Andratx has been a common phenomenon in recent years, the events of the past weeks have surprised local residents, who claim that they had not seen so many in other years.
Moreover, the swarm that reached the beach between early Sunday morning and Monday morning consisted of specimens much larger than usual. The specific species is the Pelagia noctiluca, a very abundant specimen seen throughout the year, characterized by its pinkish color and extremely stinging nature.
Pelagia noctiluca has tentacles full of stinging cells loaded with venom, which is why when a person touches them, they may feel pain, itching, redness, and irritation on the skin. Furthermore, in more severe cases, they can cause allergic reactions and difficulty breathing, among other adverse symptoms.