Return to Jellies of the Salish Sea

The Lion’s Mane Jelly (Cyanea capillata) is one of the largest animals in the sea.  Its bell can reach a diameter of 3 metres and its tentacles can be as long as 35 metres. In recent years, scientists have determined that the Pacific Lion’s Mane of the Salish Sea, is a “smaller” native species usually found south of the polar region and the Bering Sea. That said, I have met a few individuals with bell diameters of 1 metre and tentacles of at least 8 metres). These large red jellies can pack a sting that some humans find disrupts their dive and their day.  The sting is not fatal and is similar to walking through a field of nettles in terms of pain and distraction. Some humans, like moi,  are fortunate enough to have little to no reaction and find even a swipe across a bare face tolerable.  Still, it is best to keep one’s distance and remember that the tentacles may be hanging out well beyond the bell, doing what they do best: snagging fish, smaller jellies, plankton and crustaceans.