Anyone else encounter sea lice at DE beaches this week?

[Anonymous]

I’m going out Labor Day weekend. Am I correct in assuming they will either float away or move on to the next life stage by then?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We encountered them in OC on Tuesday, except they were crab larvae, not jellyfish. DD and I were pretty far out swimming and kept noticing what we *thought* were large pebbles or sand grains in our suits. We weren't in any pain until we got out and then the pinching and biting instantly became unbearable! We ran to the shower on the beach to rinse off and it was at that point that I reached inside my suit and pulled out a handful of tiny little crabs like these:

http://www.delaware-surf-fishing.com/crab-larvae-season-beach

We had to leave the beach to take a real shower to get them all off our bodies and out of our hair. It was totally gross and now DH likes to joke that I got crabs in OCMD

Omfg. Now there's this.

[Anonymous]

They get worse as the water gets warmer.

[Anonymous]

Was just there over the weekend and Rehoboth Bay has tons of jellyfish in it. We've been going to DE for over 10 years and never seen anything like it.

[Anonymous]

Any sea lice updates? Anyone there over Labor Day weekend?

I'm heading to OCMD this weekend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any sea lice updates? Anyone there over Labor Day weekend?

I'm heading to OCMD this weekend.

We were in Chincoteague over the weekend and experienced them. We had no issued on Saturday, but experienced the sea lice on Sunday. The water was calmer and it would have been the perfect beach day had they not appeared. I noticed them first in the top of my tankini. I was so glad my bottoms were the very high waited tight type because none got in there. They were stuck in my shelf bra. Felt minor itching while in the water that caused me to look in my top expecting to find sand. I believe they were jelly fish larvae. Looked like large clear/jelly grains of sand with two black dots. There weren't any legs or anything. They didn't bother my husband or kids as much but they did need to rinse off when they came out of the pool. We didn't get a rash from them or anything, but a friend who has very sensitive skin got a very bad red rash from sea lice in NJ this summer.

If you see a purple flag by the lifeguards that meant there are sea lice/"dangerous" sea life.

[Anonymous]

We missed them in OCMD labor day. Hotel said there had been no complaints, and there were no flags. It's so weird how they can inundate and then float somewhere else or hatch or whatever. I hope there are scientists tracking the data on this stuff and tracking trends.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the updates PPs!

And the tip about the purple flag. I don't think I've ever seen a purple flag in all my years of going to OCMD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any sea lice updates? Anyone there over Labor Day weekend?

I'm heading to OCMD this weekend.

Read something yesterday that said they are gone. I guess they have a pretty short life cycle. Have fun!

[Anonymous]

We are in Bethany and found little translucent guys all over us. I think with flecks of blue. Lifeguard called them sea lice but I think we’re blue crab larvae. Any one know? How much pain will we be swimming with them for a week?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are in Bethany and found little translucent guys all over us. I think with flecks of blue. Lifeguard called them sea lice but I think we’re blue crab larvae. Any one know? How much pain will we be swimming with them for a week?

It was sea lice or jelly fish. You wouldn’t encounter blue crab larvae in the ocean. Plus, they look like teeny tiny crabs, not jelly blobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They get worse as the water gets warmer.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were in ocean city this week and didn’t get them, but the lifeguards were warning people. They recommended jumping in the pool after swimming in the ocean, so that the chlorine kills them.

Assuming there is enough chlorine in the pool!

[Anonymous]

Thank you global warming.

[Anonymous]

OMG this thread from 2018 thank goodness!!!