Jellyfish in the 70s

[RodRage]

Anyone from OC remember the purple and white jellyfish invasion every summer in the late 70s? Surfing in HB or Newport we literally couldn’t go in the water without getting stung. Out rock fishing the last few times I’ve noticed all the different jellies drifting along with the Wind sailors and Mola and got me thinking that I haven’t seen that type of jellyfish since the early 80s, the things would be laying all over the beach at low tide you had to be careful not to trip over one not to mention the tar getting stuck in our toes!

 

[Croaker.Stroker]

I remember those jellies, tar, and broken glass on tin-can beach.

 

[Mr. DRE]

I've seen tons of jellies and sailors from the 60 mile bank all the way to Catalina.

 

[mike garrahan]

I remember back then all of the lifeguard towers at Huntington Beach kept a gallon bottle of vinegar at the tower and when you got stung you went over to the tower and they would pour vinegar on the sting. You always got tar on your feet but the biggest problem was stepping on a hot cigarette butt. Back then they had the big round fire rings and everyone would have bonfires and cook hotdogs on wire coat hangers. We were underage but we had these plastic sheets that said Coke and you wrapped them around your beer can so it looked like you were drinking Coke instead of beer. You always tried to get a spot between two lifeguard towers so the lifeguards couldn't see what you were doing.

 

[RodRage]

Haha I remember those wraps, You could buy them at El Don liquor on the North side,

 

[tunacraze]

That was such a fun time to be a kid!

 

[stuman]

Saw one May 19. Hadn’t seen one in a while so I took a picture.

In the 70’s tar balls were everywhere

Maybe there is an albacore / jellyfish correlation?

 

[HighWildFree]

I remember similar numbers of jellies in the mid 2000’s. Around 2005 +- a few years. I remember trying to avoid any duck dives, or turtling when surfing during the time.

 

[stuman]

I remember similar numbers of jellies in the mid 2000’s. Around 2005 +- a few years. I remember trying to avoid any duck dives, or turtling when surfing during the time.

were those albacore years? I believe so....

 

[walter heim]

I remember the white and purples (pelagia). But more significant were the big black sea nettles about 20 years ago. That sting packed a punch.

 

[HighWildFree]

were those albacore years? I believe so...

I think so, but was too busy chasing whale tails around that time

 

[stanky1]

The jellies always came around when the water was warm and the wetsuits were off. Sums o bitches.

 

[plj46]

I got stung good by a big one while I was walking out into the surf at La Jolla shores.Probably 1980 or so.Fortunately I had my spring suit on because that thing hit me just below my crotch.It got both legs from where my wetsuit stopped all the way down to my shins.And yes that shit hurt pretty bad.I had thousands of tiny blister looking things on my legs.

 

[frijolito]

I had my hand down the throat of a marlin trying to unhook it once and got the shit stung out of me when he belched a bunch of jellyfish out. hurt like a bitch

 

[CI_SeaWolf]

I just remember the big ones in the surf when I was a kid, a wave would wash one up on somebody, and they would be stung bad. I remember sailors back in around ‘04, I launched out of Morro Bay, greasy flat seas, burned 2 tanks of 2 stroke oil and 115 gallons of gas chasing Albacore. Put 6 on my own boat! Bucket list for me!

 

[lkatdpelicanfly]

Remember seeing a lot of those in Redondo harbor while fishing the pier as a kid.

 

[katchfish]

They're still around...

 

[skrilla]

Last time I saw them in numbers was maybe '06. Newport jetties littered with tortilla sized purple ones. Was paddling out and the guy ahead of me came up from a duckdive wearing one as a hat.

 

[tunacraze]

The Moon Jellies were thick in the harbors during the Summer back then too! We used to grind 'em up with the props on our dinghy's when we weren't playing dinghy ditch. The Harbor Police knew what boats we were from, but we had a lot of fun!

 

[Rimack]

Anyone from OC remember the purple and white jellyfish invasion every summer in the late 70s? Surfing in HB or Newport we literally couldn’t go in the water without getting stung. Out rock fishing the last few times I’ve noticed all the different jellies drifting along with the Wind sailors and Mola and got me thinking that I haven’t seen that type of jellyfish since the early 80s, the things would be laying all over the beach at low tide you had to be careful not to trip over one not to mention the tar getting stuck in our toes!

Yes indeed ! Along with raft rentals and tortilla chips with that awesome hot sauce. Riding those damn rafts on walled-off GIANT waves.

 

[RodRage]

Yes indeed ! Along with raft rentals and tortilla chips with that awesome hot sauce. Riding those damn rafts on walled-off GIANT waves.

We still buy the sauce at Dwights by the bottle and have are chips at home but can’t seem to duplicate it, their cheese and chips are absolutely the best

 

[RodRage]

How about the head shop next to El Don liquor? I think it was called “Things for your head” or was that the one on Beach and Slater? I remember walking through there at around 12 years old checking out all the paraphernalia and cool hippie shit, walked outside and there’s two surfers sitting in a Volkswagen bug Whiffing laughing gas cracking up having a good ol time haha

 

[oceancoach]

Oh yes, I remember the purple jellies in the 1970s. They would get ground up in the surf, which meant you were always getting stung by fragments you couldn't see. And sometimes, when diving under a wave, you'd get one right in the face. Fortunately I was just a kid and didn't care that much. There were waves to ride!