HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. () — Your day at the beach could be anything but fun if you are stung by a jellyfish. On Hilton Head Island, thousands of visitors hit the beaches. Alec Kipnes with Shore Beach Services (SBS) say jellyfish season typically starts round late June and lasts about 8 weeks.

“Jellyfish are kind of seasonal here. Usually we see an uptick around July, August. “

But some are washing on shore now. Since March SBS has treated more than 90 stings. But jellyfish aren’t the only sea creature that can put a damper on your beach day. Another sea creature is common along the Lowcountry’s shallow waters: stingrays.

Kipnes says they have seen around 130 punctures since the start of the season. “We have a healthy population of stingrays on Hilton Head. We tell people, do the stingray shuffle, it’s called. That’s basically so you don’t pick your feet up off the ocean floor. You avoid stepping on top of them and getting something with one of their barbs. “

Kipnes says the jellyfish stings they see are fairly moderate and can be easily treated by rinsing the affected area in salt water and then again under hot tap water. The more painful, stingray punctures are treated similarly but you should seek help to quickly lessen the pain. Kipnes advises, “If you get stung by a stingray, try to find one of our lifeguards. They’re all trained on how to take care of them. But mostly it’s just soaking your foot in hot water to get rid of that pain as well.”