Jellyfish and full moon
 

Hi!
We're going to Maui in March and we will be there for a full moon. I heard something about jellyfish coming out in the full moon. Is this every full moon or certain times of the year? Any help from someone who knows. I like swimming in the ocean everyday and don't know if I want to have to worry about it or maybe plan around it?? Thanks in advance

Supposedly the box jellyfish arrive on the leeward side of the islands 8-10 days AFTER the full moon. Recommend a web search.

According to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, two researchers independently determined that indeed there is a monthly box jellyfish invasion that is based on a lunar cycle. Landy Blair, a Honolulu lifeguard tracked dates of jellyfish arrivals and determined that they always arrive 9-10 days after a full moon. Minoru Yoneshige kept data for several years and calculated that box jellyfish arrive 1-2 days after the last quarter moon of the month. If you know your lunar cycles, you will realize that each of these calculations results in the same date.

For March, the box jellyfish invasion should peak on the 27th, with the possibility of jellyfish on the 26th and 28th. Here is a Web site that predicts the date for each month:
http://www.co.honolulu.hi.us/esd/oce...lymainpage.htm

One theory for this circumstance is that is the date when the jellyfish congregate to spawn. Apparently no other predictable cycle of jellyfish can be found anywhere else in the world.

In all my visits to Hawaii I have never had a problem with jellyfish. Worrying about jellyfish falls in the same category as worrying about sharks, hurricanes, and tidal waves. They are real risks but chances are very low that you will be affected by them. Don't worry - be happy !!

thanks for the page Kinda of cool that they come at the same time every month, also kinda glad it looks like we will miss them, which is good for me. Thanks again!!!!:)

This is really interesting. We were on Maui over x-mas and both of our kids got stung by a jelly fish. Not sure of the exact dates but it was sometime between the 25th & 27th. I thought is was just a fluke!

The full moon was Dec 8 (and the next one was Jan 7). Dec. 25 to 27 is 17 to 19 days after the full moon. So much for predicting the jellyfish cycles. Bunk !!

Actually, it is still possible to be stung by jellyfish outside of that &quot;8-10 days after the full moon&quot; period, it's just much more <b>rare</b>. It's not bunk, believe me. When that period arrives, the beaches do get a lot of jellyfish. Just go do something else on that day instead of swim! Like go hiking!

where were your kids swimmimg?

We were in the ocean off Kauai during the &quot;jellyfish&quot; times in December, all day, every day and never saw a single one - so don't worry!!!