Beachgoers in Delaware are reporting painful jellyfish stings with lifeguards saying they’re seeing more stings than they can remember and marine experts suggesting warmer waters may be bringing the animals to shore earlier than usual. Even lifeguards on Dewey Beach have been getting stung. “I’m 32 years old and I’ve never seen stings like this up until this point,” Dewey Beach Patrol Lt. Chris Conaway said. Conaway said lifeguards are treating jellyfish stings throughout the day. “Every lifeguard is dealing with this all day long at this point,” he said. NBC10 talked to numerous beachgoers who said they had been stung within the past day or two. One family said every one of their children had been stung over the last several days. One child said after being stung, “Then I pulled off the jelly and threw it.” Another child described the sting as minor. “I don’t know. It just stung a little bit,” the child said. The Dewey Beach Patrol advises people who are stung to clean the affected area right away. Chris Petrone, head of the Delaware Sea Grant Marine Advisory Service at the University of Delaware’s Ocean Campus, said he believes warmer weather and climate change are contributing to more jellyfish. “If we have warmer water, we are going to see those jellyfish move in and thrive earlier and more often and in bigger numbers,” Petrone said. To reduce the risk of getting stung, Petrone recommends wearing a long-sleeve rash guard to protect your upper body and staying out of the water if jellyfish appear to be concentrated near your section of beach. “Swim on guarded beaches, talk to the guards. They are the best. They have eyes on the water every day. They are the experts on their local beach,” Petrone said. Petrone said the current wave of jellyfish should move on in a couple of weeks and will likely be replaced by a less painful species. “This is the time of year. ‘Tis the season, if you will, for jellyfish stings,” he said. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication. ...read more read less