England’s jellyfish are mostly found on the northwest coast (and even more so in north Wales). They leave watery footprints in the sand, should they dehydrate out of water. They catch prey using mucus, and are one of the favourite foods of sea turtles, a reason never to release balloons (these burst into millions of pieces, then fall to the sea where marine creatures eat them and die).
Don’t let dogs go near jellyfish (even dead ones) on the beach, as they can still sting. If dogs get stung, pull off tentacles with a towel (don’t rub or touch them), clean with sea water, and take straight to the vet.
England has a few types of jellyfish:
- Moon jellyfish are the most common. They often wash up on beaches and look like a big plate with four circles you can see inside their translucent bodies. They have short tentacles at the sides.
- Compass jellyfish look like a compass, hence the name. They have frilly arms below their ‘bell’.
- Barrel jellyfish are very big and have mushroom-shaped bells with frilly tentacles and a violet fringe.
- Lion’s mane jellyfish have long flowing tentacles and are more red in colour, with thick frilly arms. There are a few other blue and purple jellyfish, but you don’t see them as much.
Abroad, some jellyfish stings can kill. Long tentacles wrap around swimmers and divers, injecting venom. Most people just get pain and red marks, but a few people get seriously ill. Do not swim near large numbers of jellyfish and wear wetsuits and flippers (divers can wear ‘stinger suits’ and ask lifeguards about areas to avoid).
Found a Stranded Jellyfish?
It’s common (and upsetting) to see moon jellyfish wash up on the beach. If not completely dead, what should you do? Beach Stuff says that once on land, jellyfish have already started dying. So although hard to do, the kindest thing is likely to just let them be, as returning them to the sea (which would also sting you) likely just prolongs suffering, as most won’t recover, or simply be washed back to the beach again. Although jellyfish can sense their environment (due to neurons), they don’t have a brain, heart or respiratory system.
