A:

Hi Shannon,

Great question. Unfortunately, it is a very hard one to answer.

Obviously jellyfish are seasonal.  Most jellyfish that you are asking about typically tend to come to Virginia Beach waters only when the water gets to be nice and warm… but not all.

They also don’t like to be “jostled around” in the more turbulent waters at the oceanfront,  so many of them tend to migrate into the Chesapeake Bay and inlets.

Your question is hard to answer because although Virginia Beach is mostly free of any major jellyfish problems, each day can be different from the previous one due to a variety of factors… (local storms, water temperature, algae blooms, etc..)

Different types of jellyfish call Virginia Beach their home through the year…

Sea Nettles

They are abundant in May-October as far north as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

They produce a rash and an itchy sensation after being in contact with the skin.

Moon Jellyfish

They visit the lower Chesapeake Bay in summer.

Don’t worry, Moon Jellyfish do not harm or sting people. Its stinging cells are relatively gentle to humans. Often people swim with these jellyfish in the water without any bother. Once in a while a person might experience a mild stinging sensation on the skin if stung, but the prickliness is brief.

Lion’s Mane Jellyfish

Common in the Bay in late November-March.

Lion’s mane jellyfish prefer to hang out in the northern latitudes, and travel to the Bay in the winter because the water is cold. The further north you travel, the larger the lion’s mane jellyfish becomes!

We realize that this doesn’t answer your question definitively… but there are just oo many variables every year to be able to tell you if there are jellyfish in the area or not.

We hope this at least helps shed some light on jellyfish in Virginia Beach and doesn’t deter you from coming and having…

A GREAT DAY AT THE BEACH!