One biologist had the dive of her life over the weekend.
Lizzie Daly, a wildlife biologist and BBC Earth host, spotted a massive barrel jellyfish off the coast of England.
The jellyfish can reach up to roughly 35 inches in diameter, according to the Wildlife Trusts. But the one that Daly swam with was as big as her body.
“What an INCREDIBLE experience,” Daly said in a Facebook video post of the exciting encounter. “Both [photographer] Dan [Abbott] and I have never seen anything like it. I couldn’t think of a better way to finish the week in celebrating our incredible oceans.”
Daly has been hosting a series of videos as part of “Wild Ocean Week,” in which she shares information about the ocean and various species.
Daly’s excitement at the encounter is tangible, as she describes the experience in the video.
“We just swam with a giant barrel [jelly]fish!” she says in the video after the dive. “I’ve never seen a barrel [jelly]fish — or any jellyfish that big. And it was the size of my body. And it was the best thing I’ve ever done.”
“And what a way to finish Wild Ocean Week here in Cornwall, here experiencing something like that,” she said. “Absolutely incredible.”
While the barrel jellyfish are the largest jellyfish species living off the coast of the U.K., but are usually only spotted once they wash up on beaches, according to the Wildlife Trusts. The animals are usually seen between the months of May and October.
While the creatures are not usually harmful to humans, they can still sting once they are dead, the organization says.
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