Diver Encounters Massive Lion’s Mane Jellyfish in Salish Sea, Captures Stunning Footage
A diver in the Salish Sea recently filmed an encounter with a giant Lion’s Mane jellyfish, believed to be one of the largest jellyfish species in the world. John Roney documented the mesmerizing creature duringโ a โnighttime dive with โคa fellow underwater videographer.
“Several โminutes into the dive, I noticed a long, thin tentacle trailing overhead, stretching far beyond my โvision,” Roney wrote in an Instagram post. “I followed it thru the darkness for over a minute โbefore coming upon a giant Lion’s Mane Jellyfish.”
The video shows the jellyfish’s pale, translucent bell and a mass โขof orange and purple โtentacles, accompanied โขby the sound of flowing water. lion’s Mane jellyfish can grow โขto immense sizes; the largest recorded specimen had a bell diameterโ ofโ 7 feet (2.1 meters) and tentacles extending up to 120 โฃfeet (36.6 meters). They use โคtheir stinging tentacles to capture prey like โคfish, zooplankton, and other jellyfish.
Roney noted the jellyfish’s vibrant colors, adding, “But fair warning-this isโ a jellyfish you definitely don’t want toโ touch.” According to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, the Lion’s Mane jellyfish’s sting is moderately painful.
The species has captured the public imagination for over a century, notably appearing as a mysterious โขelement in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle‘s short story, “The Adventure of the Lion’s Mane.” The largest known specimen reached 120 feet โค(36.5 meters) in length, according to the Smithsonian Museum ofโ Natural History, and can weigh over 1 tonne, as reported by Guinness World Records.
While typically found โfar from the coast, the encounter highlights โthe impressive scale and beauty of these marine animals. โขRoney’s footage offers a rare glimpse into the underwater world of the Lion’s Mane jellyfish.
