Have you ever been stung by a jellyfish? With five types of jellyfish found in the Gulf, it's easy to spot, or get stung by, one on a typical summer day at Alabama's beaches.

If you see a jellyfish floating along the shore, you should avoid touching, disturbing or harassing it, Orange Beach Coastal Resources Environmental Services Technician Melinda McDonald said.

Jellyfish are important to marine ecosystems, she said, and should not be removed from the water.

"Jellyfish are not just stinging blobs floating in the water. They are a crucial part of the food web," she said. "Jellyfish are a primary source of food for sea turtles as well as other animals. They also offer shelter for small planktonic organisms and small fish to hide from predators in their tentacles and/or bell."

Brett Lesinger, Beach Safety Division Chief for Orange Beach, said beachgoers should not panic when a jellyfish is spotted.

He said staying in shallow water that is knee deep or less allows for incoming jellies to be spotted and avoided easier. He said the flow of the current can also give beachgoers an idea of where jellyfish will be coming from.

Both McDonald and Lesinger spoke on how jellyfish are very common on the Alabama Gulf Coast, specifically from June to August. Waves tend to be calmer, allowing more jellies to hang out.

The two said a "heavy presence of jellyfish" has been spotted over the last few weeks.

Rough weather causing big waves and strong winds or currents is "really the only thing" that will push jellyfish away from the shore.

WHAT TO DO IF STUNG

Lesinger said a jellyfish sting is like a bee sting as far as the type of pain and reactions possible. Pain from a jellyfish sting, he said, lasts about 10-15 minutes, and the intensity of the sting varies from person to person.

If someone is stung and suddenly gets hives all over the body or shows difficulty breathing, Lesinger said to call 911.

For treating jellyfish stings, Lesinger said the Beach Safety team encourages the simple and chemical-free "beach method."

"Take a hard surface — something like a credit card/room key — and scrape against the affected area. The goal of this is to remove any remaining tentacles," he said. "Next, take wet sand and pack it on top of the affected area and let it sit. This relieves stinging and adds a cooling effect."

McDonald said jellyfish are like any other marine or terrestrial animal; it is always best to observe and admire wildlife from a distance.

"I wish more people knew that not all jellyfish sting and how important they are to our marine ecosystem," she said. "Jellyfish are wild, living animals, and we don't want to remove them from their habitat."

TYPES OF JELLIES IN THE GULF

McDonald and Lesinger both told GCM about the five types of Gulf jellyfish: the moon jelly, Atlantic Sea nettle, cannonball jellyfish, pink meanie and comb jellies.

Moon jellies are one of the more common species for the area. This type can grow to be the size of a car tire, and they are identified by four circles creating a flower-like pattern on top.

Atlantic Sea nettles have long tentacles and are tan in color. McDonald and Lesinger said these are the most commonly pictured jellyfish, and their stings "can pack a punch."

Cannonball jellyfish sting from the "'wart' looking area of their body" and get their name from their cannonball-like shape. Their shape looks almost like a small mushroom.

Pink meanies are, as the name implies, pink and have their stinging cells in their long tentacles. These are the most recent addition to the types of jellyfish found in the Gulf.

Comb jellies do not have stinging capabilities and propel through the Gulf using "tiny hair-like structures called cilia." These jellies are brown and "blob-like."

McDonald said the Coastal Resources Facebook page regularly posts information on the local wildlife and beach conditions, including the presence of marine life, alongside events and updates.

"We try to educate and help locals and visitors learn about what creatures live in the water and on our beaches," she said.

Beachgoers can also find out if animals like jellyfish are present based on the color of the beach flag. Purple flags indicate dangerous marine life or marine pests are present.

For beach flag updates before you get to the beach, check out visitALbeaches.com/safety for a daily beach report.

For beach reports specific to Orange Beach, visit orangebeachal.gov/surfrescue and for content specific to Gulf Shores visit gulfshoresal.gov/beachsafety.

To find out beach conditions via phone, call (251) 968-SURF (7873) for Gulf Shores updates and call (251) 981-SURF (7873) for Orange Beach updates.

Sign up for surf conditions and beach flag status updates by texting ALBEACHES to 888777. Visitors and locals who may only want the notifications for a short time can opt out by texting "STOP."

Weather and beach flag/condition updates are also listed in Gulf Coast Media's free newsletter, The Wave, which you can sign up for at www.gulfcoastmedia.com/newsletter.