A Lion's tale in Viking land (largest jellyfish species known to man)

This is still a 'small' one. The biggest ever found was as wide as a door is high, as long as a decent garden!

This yellow bugger was photographed at late dusk in Norway in 2004. Me and my wife were enjoying a late stroll when we noticed a smallish mooring at the edge of the fjord we were camped at.
I saw something moving in the water, just below the surface, just a meter or two from where we stood.

Quite a surprise! These jellyfish are the largest species in the world known to man, and it was huge, its tentacles a few meters long!

comments (8)

Ludo Sak

Lion

(ps. I am not sure of the exact geographic location of the image, but in a radius of a kilometer it is accurately pinpointed in the lovely land of Norway). Posted 13 years ago

Ferdy Christant

Lion

Wow! How did you take this photo? Posted 13 years ago
1. Ludo Sak
  
  Lion
  
  I was standing on the quay and the thing swam right passed me. I shot this up close with a 50mm eq. only a single meter distant, him just below the surface, me just standing and clicking, oh yeah and gawing at the thing through my viewfinder. You can see the water bubbles on the surface on top of it. Absolute truth. So amazing! Posted 13 years ago, modified 13 years ago
2. 1. Ferdy Christant
    
    Lion
    
    Fantastic, so it is taken from above the water? The photo looks so mysterious, it could come from a novel. Posted 13 years ago
  2. 1. Ludo Sak
      
      Lion
      
      With me fully clothed and definitely above the water, I did not even have to zoom in. Thanks glad you like it! Thx for the promotion! Posted 13 years ago
3. Ludo Sak
  
  Lion
  
  The longest one, says wiki, had tentacles longer than 40 meters, and 2+meters in diameter. Wouldn't like to swim into that one.. Posted 13 years ago

Ludo Sak

Lion

Ferdy, Gratz on the marketeer medal, I bet you are the first, as you should have this honour first! Posted 13 years ago
1. Ferdy Christant
  
  Lion
  
  Thanks. I've earned it a few times, but I think I was the first indeed. It's fairly easy to accomplish though :) Posted 13 years ago

The Lions mane jellyfish

The lion's mane jellyfish , also known as the giant jellyfish or the hair jelly, is the largest known species of jellyfish. Its range is confined to cold, boreal waters of the Arctic, northern Atlantic, and northern Pacific Oceans. It is common in the English channel, Irish Sea, North Sea and in western Scandinavian waters south to Kattegat and Øresund. It may also drift in to the south-western part of the Baltic Sea.

Info 5 4

Similar species: Flag-mouth Jellies

Species identified by Ludo Sak