After several reports of poisonous jellyfish found on the beaches of Terengganu, strange-looking jellyfish have now been spotted in Labuan!
Thousands of never before seen red jellyfish have washed ashore at the popular Mawilla Beach in Labuan.
In a 9 second video posted by Bernama, the dead jellyfish were found sprawled all over an estimated 400m stretch of the Mawilla coastline.
According to The Star, the Labuan Fisheries Department categorized their presence as a rare phenomenon that might have been caused by strong winds and wave conditions, where the water currents in the South China Sea off Labuan projects southward, allowing the jellyfish to be transported to the shallow waters near the beach.
Experts at the Fisheries Department and a marine expert from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) said the jellyfish could cause skin irritation, allergy and discomfort. Hence, the public has been advised not to touch the beached jellyfish, despite the fact that they are dead.
Associate Professor Dr. B. A. Venmathi Maran of the Borneo Marine Research Institute of UMS identified the rare jellyfish as Crambione Mastigophora (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa), or commonly known as the "sea tomato".
"The species is not known to possess a sting that is dangerous to humans, but their tentacles can still sting after death.”
"As the jellyfish are weak swimmers, this would cause them to be unable to resist the wave motion and are then washed ashore onto the beach, ” he told Bernama.
Labuan Fisheries Department director Faizal Ibrahim Suhaili also reminded everyone to avoid getting into waters near where the jellyfish landed, as there might still be a school of jellyfish in the area.
Be safe, guys!
By: Siti Farahan Sheikh Yahya
