When I was little, an evil older cousin convinced me that I must never, under no circumstances touch a jellyfish; even the dead ones that wash up on shore, because my hand would instantly start to rot if I did. So I grew up with a complete horror of jellyfish in general. Yesterday, I read about a deep sea diver who came across a jellyfish as big as herself and watched a video of this. I proceeded to have dreadful nightmares about the strange, primitive, translucent creature chasing me around a swimming pool.
In the ensuing discussion below the BBC tweet about this report, several commentators said that they had seen jellyfish as big as car tyres in that area off the course of Cornwall. I think the nightmares will continue tonight
Someone thought it looked like an alien, another said it looked like it was something from someone else's ‘Uranus’; clearly a rude joke directed at someone.
Someone also thought the creature looked like Boris Johnson (British politician known for his controversial statements). Me, I was not amused.
Yes it is enormous! And extremely eye-catching! And that is why it is the very stuff of hideous nightmares.
What is funny about a creature known to have a painful, in some cases deadly sting – one that has grown into a gargantuan and hence terrifying specimen of its species.
Clearly not!
That is closer to the sort of reaction that this revolting, mammoth beast deserves.
Sure it is. But not in a good way.
There is one type of jellyfish that is said to be immortal – it doesn’t die, it just sort of regenerates itself, apparently. (And now that nightmare just grew worse).
Someone thought that humungous creature is beautiful? Or did they just misspell alarming?
Now that is a far more reasonable reaction to something like that.
So am I.
“What an unforgettable experience,” said Lizzy Daly, the diver who encountered the unusually large creature – I agree. I shall be spending the rest of my life trying to forget that. Go ahead and watch the video of the enormous creature – why should I be the only one with nightmares.
Do you have something interesting you would like to share? Write to us at [email protected]
