FEWER SIGHTINGS OF JELLYFISH LIKELY

EXPERTS have lowered the level of alert for Portuguese man o’ war jellyfish in Alicante Province.

The last three specimens of the dangerous sea creature were recorded at the end of April in Benidorm and El Campello, and since then no new sightings have been reported.

It is not a common type of jellyfish in the area, although several of them have been seen in the waters of San Juan, Benidorm and Calpe over the last few years, when they were dragged up by sea currents from warmer waters in Cadiz and Huelva in southern Spain.

According to the Coastal Ecology Institute in El Campello, it is possible for the Portuguese man o’ war to appear along the coast of

Alicante between spring and the beginning of summer if the necessary weather and hydrographic conditions occur ­ but so far there is no reason for alarm, they say.

The experts add that the risk of finding the jellyfish in the waters of Alicante will progressively drop throughout the month and by the end of July it will be ‘practically inexistent’.

Either way, the scientists will continue to monitor the

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BEACHGOERS who install parasols or deckchairs on Calpe’s beaches before 9.30am could be fined this summer.

The council has once again launched the yearly campaign reminding residents and visitors about the local beach regulations, which include penalties for taking up space on