Critters, etc.
Summer beach conditions are definitely here. Summer water means more critters. Fish, stingrays, and all other types of animals move closer to the shoreline.
Most times we manage to avoid mishap when visiting the beach. Nevertheless, it doesn’t ever hurt to take a few precautions and take responsibility for your own safety.
Shuffle your feet in shallow water. Most of the animals that can harm you don’t want to. If you let them know you’re coming they’ll almost always get out of your way. Shuffling your feet sends out a vibration that chases away stingray, small sharks, catfish, crabs, and all kind of other little nasties that can hurt you. Other things to increase the likelihood of a good beach experience would be to not enter the water when you are bleeding, avoiding swimming in schooling fish, being careful about having bloody fish on a stringer near your body while fishing, and not swimming where water from rivers, bays, or inlets enters the Gulf. Current treatment for Stingrays is to immerse the affected area in hot water for 20-30 minutes, then go see the doctor. Jellyfish and Man-o-war are treated by washing the area in saline (salt water works fine), removing tentacles if present, and treating for pain. I like to use ice for the pain myself. Of course any cuts obtained on the beach should be given extra attention due to the ever present bacteria in the beach environment.
You want to stay away from those rock jetties where we always have some degree of rip currents. We’ve got a lot of iconic, bilingual signage out there to remind you as well and our flag warning system will hopefully catch your eye as well to serve as a reminder to be aware of daily surf advisories. On the west end beaches are generally less hazardous because there are no rip current causing jetties, but be wary of our sandbar and trough system, inshore holes, uneven bottom, longshore currents, etc, and don’t go out past your comfort level.
All the problems aren’t in the water. Proper footgear is a good idea along the beach to avoid stepping on glass or hot coals or other things that can ruin your day.
We are in the heat of summer. Daily temperature often exceeds 90 degrees with a heat index of over 100, so be sure and take precautions for the heat and sun. Drink plenty of fluid, wear protective clothing and proper head and eye protection, and remember to seek shade periodically.
With these few simple safety precautions you will have a great day at the beach. Also, daily beach conditions are posted on our website at www.galvestonislandbeachpatrol.com, along with beach safety tips, as well as information about our program and the Galveston beaches. We even have a push notification system where, after signing up, we’ll send you the daily flag color warning of conditions and unusual beach and weather hazards via e-mail or text.
Photo courtesy of galvnews.com
