Watch Out or You’ll Get Stung Visiting a Texas Beach This Summer

(Galveston, Texas) - Your summer plans are probably finalized and your looking forward to a visit to the beach in the coming weeks. It could be in Galveston. Maybe Padre Island. Surfside is nice, too.

One thing you have to watch out for while walking the beach or heading out into the water is the sea life. It is not uncommon to see jellyfish while out in the water. One jellyfish can pack a serious wallop if it stings you, a Portuguese man o' war.

Beware of a Powerful Sting Along the Texas Coast

In 2010, I was at Surfside Beach, Texas, about 40 miles south of Galveston. I was enjoying some time in the water bouncing in the waves. Suddenly, I felt something on my arm that almost felt like a bee sting.

I didn't think much of it until that stinging feeling got a little worse. That's when I noticed a red streak about an inch long on the underside of my bicep. Apparently, I had been stung by a jellyfish. This was the first time I'd ever been stung.

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Be on the Lookout for Portuguese man o' war

Be on the lookout for Portuguese man o' war while visiting the Texas coast. It's not uncommon to hear about multiple people getting stung, even this early in the season. They will be blue in color and have long tentacles that can sting. If you step on them, even if they're dead, the sting can be very painful.

If the sting is great enough, especially from a man o' war, you may have to go to the hospital. Not exactly what you want to be doing on vacation. The best thing to do if you see one of these creatures on the beach is to walk around it.

What to Do if You are Stung by a Portuguese man o' war

If you are stung, contact beach rescue as they have a liquid that can be applied to alleviate the pain (valleycentral.com). You can also pack the area with wet sand and then wash it off (repeat if needed) to help remove the remains of the jellyfish from your skin. Another solution is use a mixture of unseasoned meat tenderizer and rubbing alcohol and apply that to the area that was stung (cityofportaransas.org).

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