Flying jellyfish?

[Skipp]

This was a new one on me. Sitting in the boat, geared up waiting on the DM on board to give the word to go (the other DM had just surfaced from tying off the line to the wreck), and I get smacked in the face by a jellyfish. How can a jellyfish take off from the water?

 

[aquaticaggie]

Cringe????????

 

[desert_gold_hound]

I guess your jelling!!!

I don't beleive they can fly I would suspect some crew mates.

My mom got stung about 20 years ago from a jelly or its stinger (don't remeber what one she said) in a rented wet suit. She purchased her own after this.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

Wind?

On a couple of occasions paddling outrigger canoes and surfski's here in Hawaii I've been "hit" on the face and neck by portugese man of war..... very painful...... they are light and float on the surface, so in windy, whitecap conditions they can "take flight" for a few feet (a wave tosses them up, and wind catches them).

So basically, if spray is blowing it is possible for parts of jellyfish to be blown with it.

Ouch....

Best wishes.

 

[vladimir]

Wind?

On a couple of occasions paddling outrigger canoes and surfski's here in Hawaii I've been "hit" on the face and neck by portugese man of war..... very painful...... they are light and float on the surface, so in windy, whitecap conditions they can "take flight" for a few feet (a wave tosses them up, and wind catches them).

So basically, if spray is blowing it is possible for parts of jellyfish to be blown with it.

Ouch....

Best wishes.

I like this theory. I don't believe it in the OP's case, but I like it. The Portuguese Man 'O War is actually not a jellyfish, but a siphonophore, and it is adapted to be propelled by the wind. It's bladder protrudes from the surface to catch the wind so it's plausible that it could go airborne with the right combination of wind and chop. I think it's more likely that an oar or fin propelled it, though. I would expect it's dangling tentacles to serve as sea anchors, discouraging most flight.

 

[nielsent]

Possibly it was propelled by the hand of the DM in the water setting the flag? Or another smart a$$ diver?

 

[vladimir]

Possibly it was propelled by the hand of the DM in the water setting the flag? Or another smart a$$ diver?

That's a theory I can subscribe to.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

They can be "launched" by wind and chop, but up on the deck of a diveboat, it would have to be VERY windy and rough.

The instances I reported occured during open water races, rough conditions, and in both outrigger canoes and surfski's you are very close to the water surface.... the really "bad" one was when the top of a whitecap litteraly blew into my face, along with a small portugese man of war that was on it.... I had a welt across my cheek, neck and shoulder, and on my hand and forearm from pulling it off....

I'd guess the jelly fish was thrown in the OP's case (divers are often fun-loving rascals, after all ).

Best wishes.

 

[Skipp]

Me thinks it was the fun-loving rascal DM in the water trying to hit his buddy on board who was standing close to me. A lousy shot (maybe not, he got right on the side of my face).