Hilton Head and Jellyfish

[sharkmantwo]

I know I have seen this before, but tried to search and couldn't find it. Our annual May trip to Hilton Head may have to be moved back to Late August or September. My question specifically pertains to the JellyFish. Ive read before somewhere that there were a lot of Jellyfish in August. Can someone tell me when they start to thin out to a reasonable level? I have small children and I would like to avoid them getting stung. Are the Jellyfish thinned out by the Last week of August? We might be able to push back as far as 3rd week of September. Thanks

 

[drusba]

There are usually some jellyfish around during all of the summer and occassional stings are known to occur throughout the summer, but the worst times, when you can sometimes get large numbers near the beach, are usually limited to times between mid-July and mid-Aug. You should be OK late Aug, although 3d week of Sep is even less of a risk. Also, personal view is that September, after Labor Day weekend, is a better time to go for both weather and lower crowds.

 

[Anal Annie]

We went in mid-August the time we went. The first 2 or 3 days of the week we had torrential rains. The first day after it stopped raining everything was OK but then once it was hot again for a day or so I guess it also drives up the water temp and there were thousands of them. So many that you couldn't go in at all without getting stung. My DH got one wrapped around his lower leg that he has scars from. We sat on the beach for awhile for a day or so but it was too hot without being able to get in so we moved up to the beach house pool area to finish out the week. It was just too darned hot to not be able to take a dip somewhere from time to time. We didn't see the point in setting up on the beach then having to schlep back up to the beach house so we just stayed there.

I would say that it's more temperature related than month related...

 

[buzzrelly]

Wow…we just went to HH August 8th-15th and I didn't know that this was a known thing. We spent a LOT of time neck deep in the ocean and I don't recall seeing even one jelly fish. Maybe I just didn't notice them?? Ha! I'm glad I didn't know because I had so much fun not worrying and just playing in the waves

 

[seelyt2]

We went a couple of years ago in the 3rd week of August and ran into about 3 or 4 on our entire week length's trip - no one was stung. I was very mindful of them when swimming around because they freak the bejesus out of me!

 

[Anal Annie]

Wow…we just went to HH August 8th-15th and I didn't know that this was a known thing. We spent a LOT of time neck deep in the ocean and I don't recall seeing even one jelly fish. Maybe I just didn't notice them?? Ha! I'm glad I didn't know because I had so much fun not worrying and just playing in the waves

We went a couple of years ago in the 3rd week of August and ran into about 3 or 4 on our entire week length's trip - no one was stung. I was very mindful of them when swimming around because they freak the bejesus out of me!

Before our week was up the lifeguards had put up warning signs and they were urging people not to go in at all. (This was back in 2010.) I really think it has a lot to do with the ocean water temperature. The warmer the water the more jellyfish. So it would be impossible to predict...

 

[gmboy95]

wait a minute....man eating jellyfish????.....the stuff nightmares are made of!!!

 

[You DO Have Wings!]

I visited HHI with my family for the first time during the last week of April, 2016. (We loved it so much that we added on points there!) The beach during that time was littered with jellyfish--not the smaller kind I am most familiar with, with stinging tendrils, but fatter, gross looking gelatinous ones. There were probably hundreds of them scattered up and down the beach on the sand, though we saw few actually in the water.

Do any HHI regulars know if this a regular occurrence in last April, on an abberation? We have another trip there planned for the same week this year, and while the jellyfish certainly won't affect our plans to go, I would like to know what we can expect.

Thanks, all!