Lion's mane jellyfish swimming in the ocean

Lion's mane jellyfish swimming in the ocean

Today, let's follow the lead of a creature that goes wherever the water takes it. Want to spot a lion's mane jellyfish? Look in cold northern seas. Its bell is divided into eight lobes, and beneath it trail long tentacles and oral arms that can capture plankton, fish and even other jellyfish. Well, a single animal may carry thousands of stinging cells on each tentacle. For humans, the sting can be painful, and even detached tentacles washed ashore may still react on contact. The rule is simple: admire it, then leave it alone.

Some Arctic specimens have bells more than 1.8 metres across, though most seen near coastlines are much smaller and often appear after storms or shifting currents. Though made mostly of water, the species can reach about 36 metres in length, longer than a blue whale. Tiny fish sometimes shelter among the tentacles, turning this drifting predator into an unexpected underwater refuge in northern oceans during summer months.