CLEARWATER, Fla. — The city of Clearwater is alerting swimmers to the presence of jellyfish on Wednesday.
Lifeguards raised the purple flag Tuesday and Wednesday.
According to Visit St. Pete Clearwater, the flag colors mean:
- Green: Grab the sunscreen, you’re good to go! Conditions are calm and normal.
- Yellow: Surf’s up! Visitors (especially those with small children or poor swimmers) should use caution.
- Purple: It’s an ocean, after all. Potentially dangerous marine life (such as jellyfish and stingrays) or conditions are present.
- Red: High surf or strong currents are present, and visitors should stay out of the water.
- Double Red: The beach is closed due to conditions such as high surf, rip currents or other factors.
Purple Flag Warning: #ClearwaterBeach lifeguards are warning beachgoers of jellyfish being present in the water. Please use caution if entering the water and always swim near a lifeguard. If stung, please see a lifeguard for assistance. pic.twitter.com/YlO9lKkQIq
— City of Clearwater, FL (@MyClearwater) September 9, 2020
If you do get stung, see a lifeguard. The Florida Department of Health also provides this guide for dealing with marine stings.
Editor's note: A previous version of this story included a tweet from the City of Clearwater mistakenly advising to do the "stingray shuffle" to avoid jellyfish.
