England’s Jellyfish (and staying safe at the beach)
Jellyfish are beautiful mysterious creatures found worldwide (in England, most are in northwest England or Wales). The main jellyfish found in England are:
- Moon jellyfish are the most common, translucent with four purple rings under the surface, and frilly tentacles.
- Compass jellyfish have star-patterns on the bell that look like the points of a compass.
- Lion’s mane jellyfish are large with lots of tentacles.
- Barrel jellyfish are England’s largest, which look like ‘bobbing cauliflowers’.
- Other species are blue and mauve stinger jellyfish
Report large or rare jellyfish to local wildlife organisations. This helps to track numbers, and learn about changing sea life.
How to Stay Safe Near Jellyfish
Although most fatal jellyfish stings are abroad, some species in England can harm (especially children and dogs, and jellyfish can still sting, even when dead).
- When at the beach, wear natural rubber flops, and scuff/stamp your feet in the sea, to let creatures know you’re approaching.
- Keep dogs on leads near washed-up jellyfish (more common after storms or high tides). Read more on keeping dogs safe by the seaside.
If stung by a jellyfish:
Leave the water and rinse with sea water, removing tentacles with the edge of a credit card or tweezers. Do not apply fresh water, as this can release more venom. Seek medical attention.
For severe pain (or if stung on the face/genitals or from a stingray), visit minor injuries. For breathing difficulty, chest pain, vomiting, loss of consciousness, seizures or severe swelling/bleeding, call 999. Report jellyfish stings.
If dogs are stung by jellyfish
The same advice as above. Call your vet immediately (do not treat with human creams or medicines) and seek immediate help in case of vomiting, breathing troubles, swelling of the face or paws, lethargy or collapse.
Never Release Balloons (look like jellyfish to turtles)
Read our post on reasons to avoid balloon releases (and find eco alternatives).
When balloons are released (even ‘biodegradable ones’), they burst into thousands of pieces and mostly land in the sea, where they are eaten by sea turtles. This is because they look like jellyfish, which is a sea turtle’s favourite food.
Many coastal birds also peck at jellyfish washed ashore, and many fish eat jellyfish too.
Recently, some people in the USA released 50 balloons over the ocean, for a ‘gender reveal’ party for a baby. This would have undoubtedly killed or harmed marine creatures and/or seabirds. What has the world come to?
Should You Rescue Beached Jellyfish?
It’s quite upsetting for us sensitive souls to see dying jellyfish on the beach. But as they are over 90% water, experts say that once washed ashore, they are already dying. So returning them to sea will just prolong the inevitable, or they will beach again.
The sad (but likely kindest) thing to do, is to just leave them. They likely won’t be in pain (we have to be careful at suggesting they can’t ‘feel anything’ due to no brain). But they won’t be suffering the way most marine mammals would be, if beached.
Unlike some other creatures (that wash ashore due to climate change), jellyfish usually wash up due to windy weather, that simply blows them off-course. This is because they have no fins or tails, so can’t propel themselves back to sea.
Reason to Avoid Jellyfish Aquariums
Sadly, there are now companies that sell jellyfish aquariums, so people can watch live creatures with LED lights, the makers saying (due to jellyfish having no brains) that it’s the same as ‘watching a plant in a pot’.
For a start, this is bad science (see below). Also why then take living creatures from their natural habitats?They still form an important food source for endangered creatures, like sea turtles?
Neurobiologist Anders Garm (University of Copenhagen) says it’s wrong to say jellyfish have no self-awareness. Box jellyfish in mangrove swamps can use precise timing with their 24 eyes, to hunt for tiny prey. They also calculate correct time and distance to pounce.
This is because jellyfish have ‘nerve nets’ that help detect shifts in temperature, gravity, water salinity, oxygen and vibrations. So shoving poor jellyfish into tanks with lights and noise, is not kind or intelligent.
Are jellyfish self-aware? 10 years ago I would have said no. But cloud computing has made me rethink my assumption. Do you need a central hub to process information? What if their whole body works as a kind of brain?
We may never know. Personally, I assume that jellies are aware and treat them accordingly, even if I’ll never be able to prove it. We can still respect them. And afford them the reverence such alien and wondrous animals are due. Jellyfish Biologist
