Over the last few weeks, divers and boats in the Falmouth area, have been encountering more and more Barrel Jellyfish (Rhizostoma Octopus, Rhizostoma Pulmo). These large pelagic species can reach up to 90cm across, the sort of size that have been encountered. Feeding mainly on plankton, they are thought to spend most of the time at depth, coming up when the plankton blooms. With the increasing in water visibility, as the plankton starts to die back, they are getting easier to spot. Despite it’s large size, the Barrel Jellyfish’s sting isn’t strong enough to be harmful to humans. If you manage to see one and get close, look for the various creatures that live within the jellyfish.
