BEWARE OF JELLYFISHES IN PENANG

AHILAN A/L JEEVANESAN

6/9/2023

To begin my warning on looking out for jellyfishes in Penang, I would like to give a quick
introduction on jellyfishes. Jellyfishes are animals that live underwater, and it pretty much consists of
three different layers. First, the outer layer, which is also known as the epidermis. Next is the middle
layer which is made of a thick, jellylike layer also known as a mesoglea. The third layer is an inner
layer, which is the gastrodermis. The gastrodermis is responsible for important and key physiological
processes in the jellyfish. So there are jellyfishes that are quite dangerous because there are long
tentacles trailing from the jellyfish that can inject venom into our bodies if we ever approach them.
Some jellyfishes can cause some sort of illness in our body, and there are some jellyfish stings that
are life-threatening, eventually resulting in death.

My country, Malaysia has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and it definitely a
must see for tourists if they are willing to stay away from the hustle and bustle of their cities, and if
they are willing to spend time with their family for a holiday. There are many beautiful beaches in
Malaysia, including the beaches in Redang Island in Terengganu, In Langkawi, Port Dickson,
Perhentian Islands, Penang, and a lot more. However, Penang ends up having the most dangerous
beaches in my country, pretty much because of the fact that Penang beaches have the most
jellyfishes in the sea, and most recently, in February 2023, according to some research I found in The
Star, there has been a red alert in Penang waters. It has been reported that marine scientists at that
time were left stunned as they found 35 highly venomous jellyfishes trawling a special suspended net
for a mere 650m stretch about 200m from the Batu Ferringhi shoreline. It was first reported in
Penang waters in 2017 by marine scientists, only a handful used to be found. But this was actually
the first time that 35 have been caught in a single sweep of the scientists’ net. Keep in mind that this
all happened on Jan 12th 2023. On Feb 7, The Penang’s Fisheries Department posted a public caution
to swimmers on Penang beaches, warning them of severe jellyfish stings. That shows further proof
that Penang has the most dangerous beaches in Malaysia. And I also learned that the hard way 8
years ago. So I would love to share my experience.

In 2015, Me and my family went for a holiday in Penang, where we stayed in Hard Rock Hotel
Penang. It was on the first day of our vacation. On that evening, me, my brother and my cousins were
going to the beach after spending about 1 hour in the swimming pool. As we went to the beach, my
brother was scared of going into the sea because of his fear of jellyfishes. So me and my cousins just
left him with my parents and relatives and we proceeded to the sea. We were enjoying the waves so
much, so we decided to go deeper into the sea. Suddenly, I felt something like someone was stabbing
a machete into my leg. I was then screaming in pain as I quickly swam my way out of the sea with the
help of my cousins. I was still feeling the pain as I got out of the sea. I then complained the pain to
my parents, and my dad immediately drove me to a clinic nearby the hotel we were staying in. I was
in pain, at the same time worried because my holiday was about to be cut short. I explained how I
was feeling to the nurses, and they said it was a jellyfish sting that isn’t that poisonous. They than put
something that looked like powder on my leg, and after about a minute, the pain got away. I was so
relieved. But for the next 2 years, right until my holiday to Redang Island in 2017, I never stepped
into the sea and I just decided to build sandcastles to pass time in the beach, and I would never ever
go any deep into any sea in a Penang beach again.

In conclusion, beaches in Penang are pretty dangerous because of the ever-rising population
of jellyfishes in the Penang beaches. According to Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Centre for Marine
and Coastal Studies (Cemacs) director Prof Datuk Dr Aileen Tan, she believes that venomous box
jellyfish began growing around Penang because there was more “food” in the water: run-offs of
fertiliser directly foster the proliferation of jellyfish larvae. She added, “During heavy rain, there
would be more agricultural run-offs carrying nutrients into the sea, leading to plankton blooms. This
increase means more food for jellyfish larvae. Added to the ability of jellyfish to be able to reproduce
sexually or asexually, this leads to rapid reproduction.” So Dr Tan’s assumption perfectly justifies
why there is a massive growth of jellyfishes in Penang. Also Penang has some of the best food in our
country, ranging from Fried Kuey Tiaw, to its amazing seafood, there would be people who are
careless and ignorant to waste food and throw them into the sea, leading to the growth of jellyfishes
in Penang. My advice to those who would want to spend their time in the sea of Penang beaches, try
not to go to deep into the sea. Always stay at the shore of the sea to avoid any stings from
jellyfishes. That was how I approached Penang beaches ever since I got stung by a jellyfish in 2015.