With the rise in rampant fear looming over the dime-sized clinging jellyfish’s sting to people recreating in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers that border the Rumson-Fair Haven peninsula, Fair Haven officials have issued a fact sheet advising people of the jellyfish’s characteristics and where they thrive.
Here it is …
The Clinging Jellyfish (Gonionemus vertens) is a small hydrozoan jellyfish about the size of a dime that can be found in bay and estuarine waters.
WHERE ARE THEY FOUND?
Clinging jelly sh are native to the Paci c Ocean. They were introduced to the eastern Atlantic Coast as early as 1894 in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, but can be found from Maine to North Carolina. Clinging jelly sh thrive in temperate regions, and can be found in sheltered shallow bay and estuarine waters where tides are not strong enough to dislodge them.
They prefer to cling to vegetation and other substrates (e.g. shells) during the day. They typically feed at night in the water column on small marine animals (zooplankton), but have been observed during the day. They are not typically found in coastal ocean waters.
HOW BIG DO THEY GET?
This is a small jelly sh that only grows to about 25 mm (1 inch) in diameter, but it can expand to about three inches in diameter. They have 60-90 tentacles that contain the nematocysts or stinging cells.
WHY ARE THEY IN NEW JERSEY WATERS THIS YEAR?
Although they have not been previously reported in New Jersey waters, their presence here may be a recent introduction, or they may have gone unnoticed in the past. They do not produce large populations as do some other jellyfish, but can be found in local areas in small to moderate numbers.
Skies were cobalt blue today, peppered with wisps of clouds.
And the horizon of the Navesink River off the Fair Haven Dock was dotted with boats. The National Weather Service has predicted similar ideal days of sun, clear skies and dry weather tomorrow.
The sun set. The water was still. It was a serene nightfall on the river in Fair Haven.
A lone kayaker rowed his way from the shore across the Navesink from the Middletown shores to the River Rats boat launch. The clouds seemed to follow him. The new moon a sliver above.
And, in the distance, in the hushed evening, were only soft echoes of the water lapping gently to each paddle, bringing him home.
It may be an unofficial start of summer that’s taken hold, but the sun was scorching like it was pretty official down by the Navesink River on Monday in the Rumson-Fair Haven area.
The National Weather Service says “patchy fog” is going to hit tonight until early tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. After that, it’s supposed to be sunny and 70 degrees.
Take a look at the above photos for a glimpse into the sunny day in both Rumson and Fair Haven.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” said a woman smiling and taking in the sunset at the Fair Haven Dock Wednesday night. “It’s just breathtaking and it’s right here in our back yards. Well, almost. Just beautiful.”
Yes. We agreed. And, no, it just doesn’t get old — the serenity, the scenery, the gratitude for it all.
So, again, and likely many more times, we offer the view from the dock over the Navesink River at sunset in Fair Haven — a little peninsula haven that is a sweet home to many.
No, the scene just never gets old for many. It’s that scene, or one or a few of many, from one perspective or another, soaked up from the banks of Navesink River by the Fair Haven Dock.
The sun was shining brightly on Monday. Warmth enveloped — both temperature and tone.
As summer came to a close on Monday, the sun shone bright, the temperature was still soaring and some took advantage of some final seasonal moments on the Navesink River.
There were a few sailors still sailing, motor boaters motoring, fishermen fishing and some just soaking up a little Labor Day’s end sun on the Fair Haven Dock.
Take a look. Good night, Rumson-Fair Haven area. Local summer starts tomorrow.
It was dusk. The humidity about to break, the sky down by the Navesink River in Fair Haven took on a personality all its own.
There was vivid color. There were cumulus creatures congregating. There was solitude. And, as is a fortunate status quo for those who live or grew up in the area, there was the sound of a singular boat docking and teen chatter about another “awesome” day on the river.
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