In the popular rom-com Friends, one of the most memorable episodes was the one featuring a jellyfish bite. And thus, most of us know that jellyfish are best admired from a distance. Staying around them is not a good idea. Even for those who may not have watched the TV series, jellyfish are regularly known to be fatal to those who are stung.
Imagine the surprise when a diver swimming in the North Sea came across a huge one. Needless to say, he was greatly surprised. Moreover, it also turned out to be the largest jellyfish in the world. Darren Martin was the name of the diver. He hails from England’s Tyne and Wear city. In Brown Bay, he was diving to take pictures of the underwater scenery. At that moment, he came across the creature.
The Meeting Of Darren And The Enormous Jellyfish
Darren, who is 59 years old now, had first noticed something huge lurking in the ocean waters. It was one of his regular dives, and he was an experienced diver. So without wasting any time, he took a photograph of the marine creature. He had even waited while the creature came closer to him.
Martin said that the jellyfish was cream-colored. It had a top shaped like a dome and had long tendrils. The tendrils looked like long strings and threads hanging from below the dome. As the jellyfish came closer to Darren, he used his camera for its intended purpose.
He later shared the pictures of the giant creature. Needless to say, social media has been fascinated by the pictures. In the pictures, one can also see Chris Hacker, the co-diver of Martin.
Read: The Immortal Jellyfish: Does It Truly Live Forever?
This species is known as the Lion’s Mane. Their maximum recorded sizes have been six feet. They have also been found in several colors such as purple, orange, or red. The one that Darren saw had a shade that was close to orange.
Experts say that this species can possess a maximum of 200 tentacles. Moreover, their size can rival that of blue whales. Researches have said that the sting of this jellyfish is extremely painful and can linger for 2 days. However, it is not known to be fatal.
All Image Credits: Darren Martin