x
Breaking News
More () »

Rising ocean temperatures send jellyfish onto Virginia Beach

While the jellyfish can die when they wash ashore, beachgoers are warned that they can still sting because their stinging cells are still active.
Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Jellyfish are beginning to wash up on Virginia Beach as warmer ocean temperatures create a breeding ground. 

The Virginian-Pilot reports Tom Gill, chief of the Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service, says there's been an influx of jellyfish over the past several days, adding that they sting. 

Julie Levans, senior curator at the Virginia Aquarium, says the breed found locally are most likely Chesapeake nettles which live in the Chesapeake Bay and smaller tidal bays where they're mostly translucent or white. 

While the jellyfish can die when they wash ashore, beachgoers are warned that they can still sting because their stinging cells are still active.

RELATED: New flag warns of jellyfish, stingrays on Outer Banks beach

RELATED: Weird jellyfish-like blobs washing ashore in the Outer Banks

Before You Leave, Check This Out