Dead jellyfish, shrimp, crabs wash up on SC beach

SULLIVAN’S ISLAND, S.C. (AP) – Hundreds of dead jellyfish, some shrimp and crabs have washed up across the Sullivan’s Island beach.

What’s causing it? The Post and Courier reports it’s due to summer breezes.

Cannonball jellies tend to turn up in the nearshore waters during April, pushed in from the Gulf Stream with washes of warmer water. They’re a sign that the surf is approaching that magic room-temperature zone a lot of people find tempting on a hot day.

When the wind blows as hard as it has, the jellies end up on the beach resulting in Monday’s dead sea life find.

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Management Director Mel Bell says the occurrence is not unusual.