One diver diving off of the south-western coast of England encountered one of the largest jellyfish on earth — and it’s absolutely amazing!
The creature, known as barrel jellyfish, was spotted near Falmouth by Lizzie Daly, a broadcaster at BBC Earth and a wildlife biologist.
Daly was able to swim next to the giant jellyfish and as you are able to see, it was the size of a human being! The video was captured by Daly’s underwater cinematographer, Dan Abbott. A true, once in a lifetime shot!
Daly had this to say about the jellyfish:
These are known to get this large, but I haven’t seen one this big. Dan said he hasn’t seen one this big either. They’re not a threat to humans. They have a mild sting, but wouldn’t cause damage to humans.
Daly and Dan Abbott were on a seven-day marine adventure to promote conservation of all the marine wildlife species around the UK when they came across the beautiful beast!
According to Wild Trusts, Barrel jellyfish can grow up to well over 3 feet and can weigh up to 55lbs. They have a translucent appearance, a massive mushroom-shaped bell and a bunch of eight frilly tentacles on the underside. Their frills contain small stinging tentacles which surround hundreds of little mouths.
