San Sebastián (EFE).- The Basque beaches maintain vigilance in view of the appearance in recent days of specimens of the “Portuguese man-of-war” type jellyfish, which have stung some bathers in Gipuzkoa.
The first specimens were detected on Sunday in San Sebastián, where three people were treated for bites, two on Ondarreta beach and another on the island of Santa Clara.
Appearance of “Portuguese man-of-war”
For this reason, the yellow flag was placed on Monday, until the lifeguards and the San Sebastián beach cleaning boat carried out an inspection and found no more jellyfish, for which the green flag was placed.
The mayor of San Sebastián, Eneko Goia, explained this Tuesday at a press conference that so far “only two deaths have appeared”, one in the area of the island of Santa Clara and another in La Zurriola, while the bay of La Concha remains “clean”.
However, this morning there have been seven bites on the Zurriola beach. For this reason, the red flag that prohibits bathing has been placed, while the lifeguards have evicted the bathers who were in the water.
“Very vigilant” lifeguards
The City Council has reported that some surf school instructors are reluctant to get out of the water. He has warned that they will inform the Municipal Guard.
Some jellyfish have also appeared in Ondarreta, for which reason the yellow flag has been placed again this morning.
“It is not the first time” that “Portuguese man-of-war jellyfish” appear on the beaches of San Sebastián, Goia recalled. He has added that beyond “being careful, there is little that can be done” in the face of this problem.
Municipal services and lifeguards remain, however, “very vigilant” to detect the possible presence of these jellyfish in bathing areas. In this case, they will issue the corresponding notices to users through the flags that regulate and indicate bathing conditions.
In Zarautz, City Council sources have indicated that when health care was registered this past Sunday on the beach due to a jellyfish sting and that yesterday, Monday, “several specimens” were detected on the shore and “some cases” of people affected, throughout the day the red flag waved, which prohibited bathing in the entire sandbank.
green flags
This Tuesday, however, in the search of the bathing areas carried out in the early hours by the lifeguard services, “only one specimen has been detected and removed” floating in the dock area, near one of the ends of the beach from Zarautz. For this reason, at this time the yellow flag flies and bathing is allowed “with caution”.
As reported by the Red Cross, which is in charge of lifeguards on the Hondarribia beach and on the two in Getaria, this morning green flags are flying in these three sandy areas. Yesterday, Monday, they had the yellow warning of “bathing with caution” placed. “Some interventions” were carried out due to the presence of jellyfish of the species known as the “Portuguese man-of-war”.
The Department of Health has reported that there have been cases of bites in Zarautz, Getaria, Hondarribia and San Sebastián.
In Bizkaia they have not been registered, but some specimens of this species have been spotted next to the sandbanks.