Jellyfish - giants

Jellyfish, known as one of the largest marine invertebrates, are both fascinating and terrifying. Besides squid, their enormous size and venomous stinging tendrils pose a real threat to humans. The story of the Kuranda's encounter with a giant jellyfish, whose tentacles were approximately 60 meters long, highlights the danger these creatures pose.

Besides giant squid, invertebrate sea monsters also include enormous jellyfish, which are said to occur not only in warm seas but also in the cold waters around North America. These jellyfish are also very dangerous, equipped with venomous stinging nets that can kill even a large creature, such as a human. In January 1973, the Kuranda was sailing from Australia to Fiji when it encountered a large jellyfish of an unknown species. During a storm, the ship was listing to various sides. At one point, the ship's bow briefly disappeared beneath the surface. When it resurfaced, it was carrying a massive jellyfish clinging to the deck. According to witnesses, its tentacles were approximately 60 meters long! These stinging nets posed a deadly threat to the ship's crew, as they thrashed about the entire deck. Moreover, the ship was listing dangerously because the creature was so heavy that its mass shifted the ship's center of gravity. The vessel was in danger of sinking. The crew decided to radio for help. Fortunately, the rescue ship Hercules was nearby, and it quickly approached the Kuranda and relieved her of the burden using a high-pressure jet of water. This wasn't the only encounter with giant jellyfish. In 1865, a dead specimen of this invertebrate washed ashore in Massachusetts Bay. The animal measured 2.3 meters (7.5 feet) long in body length, and its stinging vessels measured over 35 meters (115 feet). The jellyfish was identified as an exceptionally large specimen of the species Cyanea capillata arctica, also known as the Arctic lion's mane. It is certainly possible that giant jellyfish exist in the depths of the ocean. The best evidence of this is the case of the species of jellyfish known as the "foggy jellyfish," known by its Latin name Chrysaora achlyos, whose body is over a meter in diameter and whose tentacles are up to 6 meters long. This species was officially described and classified only in 1997. Therefore, it is quite likely that the existence of enormous jellyfish in the seas will soon be officially confirmed.