Cristina Hodgson
AUGUST has started with a jellyfish invasion on the western coast of Malaga.
According to marine conservation experts from the Aula del Mar in Malaga a high concentration of these poisonous invertebrates have been recorded, specifically between Benalmadena (the beaches from Malapesquera to Tajo de la Soga) and Torremolinos (Los Álamos, El Bajondillo and La Carihuela), where the yellow flag was on display warning that bathing was dangerous.
The yellow jellyfish warning flag is the medium alert level with red being the highest and signifies that bathing is forbidden.
In recent times, ‘jellyfish blooms’, which are a natural feature of the Mediterranean ecosystem, have become increasingly common in southern Spain with the app Infomedusa, managed by the Aula del Mar, providing update information about the presence of these pesky, mushroom-shaped invertebrates on Malaga’s beaches.
Yesterday, Monday August 1, the app warned of the “probability of the presence of jellyfish along the whole western coast of Malaga, being more predominant towards the afternoon due to the rise of the tide”.
The Infomedusa application also warned of their presence on the Misericordia beach in Malaga city, where the level of jellyfish was high (amber) and on the golf course beach, where the level was yellow.
Every summer, the Infomedusa application carries out a specific monitoring of the situation of all the beaches in Málaga thanks to the collaboration of volunteers, lifeguard services and town councils.
When the number of these gelatinous creatures are large, the authorities in conjunction with ‘Aula del Mar’ in Malaga organise boats to remove the invertebrate from the coastal waters.
READ MORE:
- Jellyfish invasion continues in Spain’s Malaga with western coast beaches under high risk alert
- Higher than normal number of jellyfish expected along Spain’s Costa del Sol this summer experts warn
