If you’re in Hawaii, don’t forget to pack your Jellyfish Squish! Almost 2,000 box jellyfish unexpectedly invaded beaches along Waikiki and Ala Moana Beach Park yesterday, sending 177 people to seek treatment for stings.

Ocean Safety officials said the influx took them by surprise because they expected the peak to hit Friday, when 400 jellyfish were counted along south shores.

But as early as 10:30 a.m. yesterday, more than 40 people were standing in line at a Waikiki Beach lifeguard tower waiting to have stings tended to by city paramedics.

Ashlei Limbaga, 20, of Wahiawa, and her cousin, 8-year-old Wailani Pascua (pictured above), had barely gone in the water off Waikiki when Wailani started screaming in pain.

Warning signs have been posted and ocean safety experts say that the only way to prevent being stung is to stay out of the water. Duh.

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Festo, in conjunction with the specialist display technology company, Effekt-Technik GmbH, has developed a bionic jellyfish. Say hello to AquaJelly.

The bionic jellies were created to study swarming behaviour. Each AquaJelly is able to sense various aspects of its environment and to function completely autonomously, but it’s also equipped with communicative faculties that enable it to cooperate with other members of the group.

I’m not quite sure what all that means but here it is in action.

Large numbers of jellyfish have been invading Galveston waters and beaches. They like the warmer waters… especially the cabbageheads, sea nettles and the man-of-war.

On Sunday, Galveston Beach Patrol treated 100 jellyfish stings. An 11-year-old boy was even transported by ambulance to the University of Texas Medical Branch.

Pack your vinegar!

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Ocean Safety officials have picked up more than 800 box jellyfish this morning in Waikiki as the peak of this month’s influx is expected today.

More than 100 were discovered on the beach at Makaha and more than 25 at Pokai Bay along the Leeward Coast.

So far, no stings have been reported… yet.

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A 10-year-old Swedish girl died on Thursday morning after she was stung by a jellyfish on island of Koh Lanta (a popular tourist destination for many Swedes) in Thailand.

The girl went into anaphylactic shock after being stung.

She suffered a quick, hypersensitive reaction and was taken to hospital where doctors worked for an hour and a half but couldn’t save her life.

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A box jellyfish warning is being issued for Oahu, HI starting tomorrow and ending Friday by the City and County of Honolulu Emergency Services Deparment Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services division.

If you’re allergic to jellyfish stings, stay out of the water. The most commonly affected areas are Waikiki Beach and Hanauma Bay.

And if you get stung… flush the sting area with white vinegar. Anyone experiencing breathing difficulty, muscle cramps/spasms, and/or persistent pain should seek immediate medical attention.

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Swarms of jellyfish stung nearly 300 swimmers hoping to cool off from a heat wave in a southeastern beach in Brazil.

At least 15 people were treated for severe stings. Many of the injured arrived at medical centers Friday and Saturday crying in agony from the pain. Most of them were treated and released. (I wonder what happened to the others…)

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A Brisbane medical student is recovering in the hospital in north Queensland, AU after being stung on the neck by an irukandji jellyfish.

Sean Bills, 26, was celebrating his graduation with fellow students from the University of Queensland when he was stung while swimming off Hayman Island.

Sean was wearing a stinger suit, but it didn’t protect his hands, face and neck. The pain was so intense he fell to the ground, writhing in pain and crying.

Seans’ friends used vinegar as first aid on the sting, before he was airlifted to Mackay Base Hospital and given morphine for the pain.

He said he’ll never go swimming off north Queensland during the stinger season again, which, in case you didn’t know, runs from October to May.

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A ROTC officer died and two others were hospitalized last Saturday after being stung by box jellyfish at Playa del Sur Beach Resort in the Philippines.

Juvelyn Campos, 18, was already dead when she arrived at the hospital. She was brought to hospital about five minutes after the box jellyfish stung her.

She died from anaphylactic shock due to her allergic reaction to the toxins from the jellyfish.

The three were among 36 ROTC officials who held a party to celebrate their recent promotions. Some party…

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Man… New Smyrna Beach just can’t get a break. The jellyfish are back in full force this weekend.

The Volusia County Beach Patrol said they’ve treated hundreds of beachgoers for jellyfish stings, and every lifeguard had to ask for more vinegar to treat the stings.

A 16-year-old girl was taken to Bert Fish Medical Center after she went into shock from a sting.

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