If it’s not a swordfish…

JELLYFISH HAVE inundated the waters off the Limassol coast, resulting in many bathers falling victim to their disturbance and their stings.

According to media reports, lifeguard Andreas Isichiou said there were hundreds of jellyfish in the sea around Limassol during the week and many swimmers raced to the lifeguards in need of first aid.

Isichiou said that they managed to collect 60 jellyfish but added that it was impossible to collect them all.

The swarm report comes a day after bathers in the area called in a shark alert that turned out to be a swordfish.

Fisheries Department official Myroula Hadjichristoforou said the increasing number of jellyfish was due to the high atmospheric temperature. She added that the problem was temporary and seasonal.

Hadjichristoforou stressed that even though nothing can be done about it, tests would be conducted to determine what type of jellyfish was in the sea.

Jellyfish travel in schools and prefer warm waters. If stung by a jellyfish the wound must be cleaned and dried. It is also advisable to place cold packs on the wound to lessen the swelling. If the sting continues to irritate, a visit to the doctor is advisable.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.