CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — While it's fun to enjoy our local beaches this Fourth of July weekend, it's still important to watch for any potentially dangerous sealife.
University of Texas Marine Science Institute Reserve Director Jace Tunnell said there are quite a few creatures at our beaches that could leave you wanting to jump out of the water.
You don't even have to make direct contact with some of these creatures to be harmed by them.
Sea nettle, a species of jellyfish, are common in our area. When the waves are strong enough, that force can actually detach the tentacles from the jellyfish.
"So people might feel stinging and not know where it's coming from, but most times it's those tentacles," he said.
You may have also heard of sea lice, but those creatures aren't to be confused with the lice we find on land.
"They're baby blue crabs. If you feel something pinching you, their arms and little claws are connecting on to you and it feels like a sting," he said.
Danger doesn't just lay in the water. Our beaches' sand dunes can also be home to some creatures you'll want to stay away from.
"It's pretty common to see rattlesnakes. So, we always ask people not to go up into the vegetation of the sand dunes," he said.
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