Virginia Jellyfish Report

Virginia Jellyfish Report

Best Virginia Beaches to Avoid Jellyfish - Today, August 26, 2026

Ranked using the latest VIMS and NOAA sea nettle readings for 45 Virginia beaches.

These Virginia beaches have the lowest jellyfish chance on today's forecast, ranked lightest first. The values come from the VIMS and NOAA Chesapeake Bay sea nettle maps, translated into plain labels. If you want a calmer swim, start at the top of this list.

Remember that this is a forecast of likelihood, not a count of jellyfish in the water, and conditions can change with wind and tide. Always look at the water before you get in.

RankBeachAreaConditionChance
1Cape Charles BeachNorthampton CountyLight0%
2Kiptopeke State Park BeachNorthampton CountyLight0%
3Waterfront ParkAlexandriaLight0%
4Jones Point ParkAlexandriaLight0%
5Virginia Beach OceanfrontVirginia BeachLight1%
6Sandbridge BeachVirginia BeachLight1%
7Chesapeake BeachVirginia BeachLight1%
8Savage Neck Dunes Natural Area PreserveNorthampton CountyLight1%
9Aquia Landing ParkStafford CountyLight1%
10Buckroe BeachHamptonLight2%
11Rappahannock River WaterfrontRichmond CountyLight2%
12Outlook BeachHamptonLight2%
13Sarah Constant Beach ParkNorfolkLight2%
14Community Beach ParkNorfolkLight2%
15First Landing State Park BeachVirginia BeachLight2%
16Ocean View Beach ParkNorfolkLight3%
17East BeachNorfolkLight3%
18Salt Ponds BeachHamptonLight3%
19Chickahominy Riverfront ParkJames City CountyLight3%
20Messick PointPoquosonLight3%
21King-Lincoln Park BeachNewport NewsLight6%
22Tappahannock WaterfrontEssex CountyLight9%
23Duke Street BeachEssex CountyLight9%
24Marsh Street BeachEssex CountyLight9%
25Jamestown Beach Event ParkJames City CountyLight10%
26Jamestown Beach nearbyWilliamsburgLight10%
27Jamestown-Scotland Ferry AreaSurry CountyLight16%
28Gloucester Point Beach ParkGloucester CountyLight17%
29Yorktown BeachYork CountyLight18%
30Yorktown BeachYorktownLight18%
31Riverwalk LandingYork CountyLight19%
32Riverwalk LandingYorktownLight19%
33Haven BeachMathews CountyLight20%
34College Creek shorelineWilliamsburgLight20%
35Tangier IslandAccomack CountyLight20%
36Huntington Park BeachNewport NewsLight21%
37Hilton BeachNewport NewsModerate25%
38Hughlett Point Natural AreaNorthumberland CountyModerate41%
39Windmill Point - Westland BeachLancaster CountyModerate42%
40Dahlgren Wayside ParkKing George CountyModerate46%
41Colonial BeachWestmoreland CountyHeavy55%
42Westmoreland State ParkWestmoreland CountyHeavy66%
43Urbanna CreekMiddlesex CountyHeavy67%
44Waterman's ParkMiddlesex CountyHeavy68%
45Ragged Island Wildlife Management AreaIsle of Wight CountyHeavy72%

Rankings update daily, so check back before each trip. For the yearly pattern, see the jellyfish season guide, and for practical tips, read how to avoid jellyfish. You can also compare with the worst jellyfish beaches today.

Source maps are model guidance from VIMS and NOAA/NCCOS. They are useful for a quick beach check, but they do not count jellyfish in the water and may not match conditions at every shoreline. Always check conditions when you arrive: posted lifeguard flags beat any forecast, and a purple flag means dangerous marine life has actually been seen, whatever the model says.