Spain tourists warned about high numbers of jellyfish on Costa del Sol

‘It’s like something out of a horror film,’ says British holidaymaker

Rhizostoma luteum jellyfish have been spotted around southern Spain (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Tourists in Spain’s Costa del Sol region are being warned about a spike in jellyfish numbers.

The Aula del Mar marine conservation team recorded higher numbers of the pelagia noctiluca and rhizostoma luteum species last week, with increasing numbers spotted around beaches in Nerja, Benalmádena, Fuengirola and Marbella.

The rhizostoma luteum in particular is known for its impressive size, measuring 60-90cm.

“It’s like something out of a horror film,” British holidaymaker Francisco Martinez, 55, told The Sun.

“I’ve been coming to the Costa del Sol for 20 years and this has never happened before. If you want to take your kids into the sea around here, you have to bring a net, it’s that bad.”

Warnings have been issued on various beaches over the past week, with Malaga council reporting that the city’s beaches were flying yellow flags to alert holidaymakers to the high presence of jellyfish.

Similar warnings were issued on beaches along the Granada coast, including Almuñécar.

“This year we were sure that there were going to be a series of conditions that would favour a high presence [of jellyfish], as has finally happened this week,” biologist Jesús Bellido from Aula del Mar told Spanish news site SUR.

“However, there is a slight relief as it started in mid-August and has not affected the month of July.”

He added that the factors for a surge in jellyfish numbers were determined in spring due to water temperatures.

“Now the sea seems to be cold but before the summer it was much warmer,” he said.

“There were a series of ideal conditions to create a high presence of jellyfish in the Alboran Sea.”

Visitors can track the number of jellyfish on local beaches in the Costa del Sol via the Infomedusa app, developed by Aula del Mar.