BARLEYCOVE Beach was carpeted with thousands of Mauve Stinger jellyfish for six hours on Tuesday after an incoming tide dumped them on the sand.
Goleen native Matt Kirkham said: ‘People would be forgiven for thinking that the image was generated by artificial intelligence, but it wasn’t.’
Matt shared an image with The Southern Star that was taken by his cousin Johnny Sheehan and he also took dramatic drone shots of jellyfish in very large numbers at Dunlough Bay and along the Mizen Head coastline.
Jellyfish warnings have been issued since the Pelagia noctiluca arrived with the very warm weather on Sunday, shortly before Hurricane Erin possibly added to the influx.
‘I was in Barleycove with my nine-year-old son,’ said Matt. ‘He wanted to get into the water at Barleycove, but he didn’t because we’d heard that the sting can be quite nasty.’
Adding that the lifeguard on duty alerted people to the presence of Mauve Stingers he said: ‘We were told these jellyfish have a sting that’s second only to the Portuguese Man O War.’
The #2MinuteBeachClean Summer Surf Club planned for Tuesday August 26th at Barleycove was cancelled due to the problem but also the large swells caused by Hurricane Erin and a spring tide.
Local authority appointed beach guards throughout West Cork, including Rosscarbery, where a number of people were reportedly stung without sustaining any serious side effects, have been warning people not to swim in the affected areas.
While Barleycove was littered with jellyfish on Tuesday morning, only to be carried out on the next tide, The Warren was all but deserted of jellyfish and swimmers.
At no stage were people prohibited from swimming at The Warren. There was a red and yellow halved flag in operation which indicated that there were lifeguards on duty and it was safe to swim in the designated area.
Holidaymakers, locals and a yoga teacher spoke to The Southern Star about their concerns for The Warren generally.
They cited the growing levels of sewage pollution, the deplorable state of the public conveniences, the potholes in the car park, and the development of a shelf, or dip, on the beach which they claim has made The Warren less desirable for young people hoping to learn surfing safely.
On a more positive note, the yoga instructor said the availability of a sauna, daily yoga classes, and the lifeguard service, as well as the presence of coffee and ice-cream trucks all help to make The Warren a great amenity for locals and visitors alike.
