[News Today] JELLYFISH SWARM BEACHES

[LEAD]
If you're a beach lover, be aware. Jellyfish swarms have taken over as the top holiday hassle. Despite cleanup efforts, their sheer numbers continue to block swimmers. Here's more.


[REPORT]
White spots float on the sea as if white paint was dropped on the water.

Light pink matters are clumped together along the barrier nets.

They are Nomura's jellyfish, the bane of all beaches.

Jellyfish swarms have essentially taken over the beaches. It's so easy to get stung by a jellyfish if you're not careful.

The warning goes for not only vacationers, but also lifeguards.

Vacationing at the beach/
My son was stung by jellyfish. He was treated quickly, but cannot go into the water.

Lee Chan-min/ Lifeguard at Ilsan Beach, Ulsan
I got blisters. It's itchy and sometimes feels like I'm being pricked with needles.

Different means were used to keep out the jellyfish blooms, but it just wasn't enough.

A yellow barrier was set up far away from the beach to block out the jellyfish and an orange line keeps people from going deeper into the ocean.

Workers scoop up jellyfish that swam past the barrier but there seems to be no end in clearing the jellyfish.

Hwang Su-jeong/ Lifeguard at Ilsan Beach, Ulsan
We clean up jellyfish 4 times a day. We set up nets and do our best to clean up, but there are just too many jellyfish.

Nomura's jellyfish appeared in all the beaches in Ulsan for the past week.

That is the highest appearance rate in Korea and it means that virtually all the beachgoers spotted jellyfish.

Kim Gyeong-yeon/ Nat'l Institute of Fisheries Science
Since China is the origin, it's hard to find out the exact cause of jellyfish swamp explosions, leading to inadequate countermeasures.

Although cleaning up the dead jellyfish seems futile, it is the only solution available for now.

Experts advise coming out of the water if one feels a sting and wash out the stung area with saline solution.