Giant jellyfish as wide as beach umbrella found lurking off New England coast
Known as a Lion’s Mane Jellyfish, the animal was a member of the largest jellyfish species in the world, according to the Smithsonian.
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SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine – Beachgoers in South Portland, Maine, came upon a curious sight over the weekend, when they spotted a large, orange-red jellyfish lurking in the shallow water.
Known as a Lion’s Mane Jellyfish, the animal is a member of the largest jellyfish species in the world, according to the Smithsonian.
The specimen found in South Portland appeared as shaggy as its feline namesake, as hair-like components of its vivid crimson bell floated in the water.
While the bells of Lion’s Mane Jellyfish grow to around 3 feet wide on average, the Lion’s Mane Jellyfish found in the small town of South Portland was nearly 5-feet wide, officials said. That means it was wider than many beach umbrellas.
The Lion's Mane Jellyfish. (City of South Portland / FOX Weather)
Lion’s Mane Jellyfish usually live in colder, more northerly ocean waters, according to officials. However, these animals can be found as far south as Chesapeake Bay.
The jellyfish also typically remain in the open ocean and not near coasts, the Smithsonian said. This makes the sighting of the Lion’s Mane Jellyfish at Willard Beach quite a unique sighting.
Their tendency to remain in the open ocean could be due to their size, particularly as the largest known Lion’s Mane Jellyfish measured 120 feet long from the top of its bell to the end of its tentacles, the institute added.
Like those of other jellyfish species, Lion’s Mane tentacles contain neurotoxins that can be dangerous to humans. Side effects of being stung by a tentacle of a Lion’s Mane Jellyfish range from a rash to respiratory issues.
The City of South Portland officials provided the following advice for anyone who might stumble upon a Lion’s Mane Jellyfish at the beach:
- Do not touch the jellyfish.
- Observe the animal, and if one washes up on the beach, let a lifeguard know about it so they can help put it back into the water.