Immigrate to the UK focuses on life in the UK: Thousands of giant barrel jellyfish have gathered near popular beaches in the United Kingdom. Off the coast of Dorset, a group of these monsters, measuring up to five feet (1.52 meters) and weighing thirty-two kilograms, has been discovered. This unprecedented invasion of giant barrel jellyfish may be due to a decrease in their natural predators during their juvenile stage, caused by overfishing by humans.
Although the stings of giant barrel jellyfish do not pose a threat to human life, they can cause troublesome issues such as rashes. Ecologist Steve Trewhella discovered this group of jellyfish. He had seen two giant barrel jellyfish last year, but he was shocked to find this time that the area a mile from the coast was filled with these creatures the size of trash can lids, with at least 100 of them.
Giant barrel jellyfish were first discovered in the northeastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. They are the largest species in the UK, capable of stinging but not posing a life-threatening risk to humans, as they only feed on plankton. Experts inform us that while their venom does not cause any serious harm, it is advisable to avoid contact with them while swimming.
51-year-old Steve has been photographing underwater for over thirty years, but he has never seen so many barrel jellyfish. The diver from Dorset said: Finn had never seen this type of jellyfish, so I always hoped we would find a few while diving. But we never thought about what to do when the number of barrel jellyfish exceeded our expectations.
Barrel jellyfish are the largest species in the southwest of England and are not uncommon in the UK; on the contrary, they are often washed ashore. However, it is indeed not easy to see multiple barrel jellyfish in the sea at once. Steve said: My wife Julie and I saw one barrel jellyfish, but it disappeared before I could enter the water, and we were very disappointed.
These giant barrel jellyfish are a truly fascinating and magnificent species. We continuously saw jellyfish swimming past us, one after another. The last time there were so many jellyfish was in the 1980s, but it was completely different from today. They are truly everywhere now; I have never seen such a scene.
