Gulf Shores
Orange Beach
Ft Morgan
Alabama
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Jellyfish, Rip Currents & Such

Rip Currents

A red flag means NO SWIMMING -- There is Dangerous Surf or Rip Currents!

What is a rip current?   A strong current or stream of water that knocks you off balance and carries you AWAY from the shore.

What does one do if caught in a rip current?  Stay Calm and DO NOT fight the current. Even strong swimmers cannot swim against these currents. Escape the current by swimming in a direction parallel to the shore line...when you are free of the current, swim AT AN ANGLE to the shore. If you are not able to escape float or tread water until the current weakens then swim at an angle to the shore.

***If at any time you feel you will not be able to reach the shore, immediately face the shore, wave your arms and cry for help. 

New 5 Flag Warning System

Color		Meaning
Green		Conditions are Calm
Yellow		There is moderate surf and/or currents
Red		High surf and/or strong currents - No Swimming
Double red		The surf and currents are so rough that the water is closed to the public
Purple		Dangerous marine life present (sharks, jellyfish, Portuguese man-of-war, skates, etc)

If you are on a beach that only uses 3 flags:

Color		Meaning
Green		Conditions are calm
Yellow		Use caution. Conditions are moderate.
Red		NO SWIMMING ! Conditions are dangerous

Please Note: Gulf Shores made it ILLEGAL to swim off public beaches when a red flag is flying !

Also: If there are no flags present, it DOES NOT mean that the waters are safe !

Jellyfish & Portuguese Man-of-War

Tips:
* Carefully remove any remaining tentacles to avoid additional stings. DO NOT use bare hands.
* Immediately rinse area with saltwater. Fresh water will make the situation worse by causing the stinging cells that have not discharged yet do so.
* Adolph's Meat Tenderizer is a common remedy. A paste can be made by mixing the meat tenderizer with saltwater.  Another possible remedy is vinegar.
* If you have any difficulty swallowing or breathing call 911 immediately.

Portuguese Man-of-War

Although commonly called a jellyfish, the Portuguese Man-of-War is actually a colony of 4 different types of polyps with specialized functions. It is said the Man-of-War got its name a long time ago when ancient sailors thought it resembled a Portuguese war ship. I have also heard that it got its name because it resembled the Portuguese soldier's helmet. The Man-of-War is usually a blue inflated body with a pink crest and the tentacles are a combination of blue, pink and purple. As beautiful as it is, it should never be touched ! A dead and dried up Man-of-War is still poisonous and capable of stinging. The tentacles can be extremely long, so even if you are not close to the floating "helmet" body you could bump into one of its highly venomous tentacles.

The man-of-war stings are very painful. Symptoms include severe shooting pain described as a shock-like sensation, and intense joint and muscle pain. Pain may be accompanied by headaches, shock, collapse, faintness, hysteria, chills, fever, nausea and vomiting and in some cases death (usually from cardiac arrest). While the initial contact may result in only a small number of stings, efforts to escape from the tentacles may cause the stinging cells that have not discharged to do so and intensify the stings. Care should be taken when removing the adhering tentacles. Severe stings can still occur even when the animal is beached or dead. The Man-of-War sting may require further medical treatment to control the pain. If any breathing difficulty occurs, CALL 911 immediately.

General Safety Tips

Coming Soon !!!

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