HUNDREDS of thousands of rare purple jellyfish have washed up on a British beach.
The mauve stinger jellyfish are only small – but capable of a powerful sting and glow brightly at night if disturbed.
The jellyfish were spotted washed up at Porth Hellick on St Mary’s on the Isles Of Scilly.
The species are uncommon close to UK shores.
They may be found offshore and in warmer European waters such as the Mediterranean, particularly from July to October.
That is dependent on weather and ocean currents, according to the Wildlife Trust.
Photographs of the creatures were shared by The BareFoot Photographer, Nikki Banfield, 43.
She said: “We get mauve stingers fairly regularly in Scilly – but in bulk like this, hundreds of thousands, is not common.
“They are really cool but it is also a really sad sight because they are washing up on shore and dying.
“Due to the volume of jellies stranding, they don’t appear to be drying out as quickly, and many of the masses are still moving as a result.”
Nikki, who adopted her name BareFoot Photographer due to venturing without shoes, explains how on average the jellyfish were around six to seven centimetres in diameter – with thousands of smaller ones washed up amidst the seaweed and sand.
She said: “Many sea swimmers, who say the ocean nearby looks like ‘jellyfish soup’ underneath, explain how often the smaller the jelly the bigger the sting.
“These jellyfish have stinging cells on their cells and tentacles, whereas many just sting via their tentacles – so it is quite interesting.
“But it depends on the individual too, as people’s reactions vary.”
Nikki, who has always had a passion for photography and the environment, believes images provide a good insight into sharing with others what is happening with our natural world.
She says there is a combination of reasons as to why such huge numbers of these jellyfish species have washed up onshore.
“There are many cyclical reasons that go with our ocean temperatures – when there is an abundance of food, jellyfish bloom and breed so quickly! It’s like boom, done.
“So it could be a sign of something going wrong in our oceans: with global heating, overfishing and climate change – there is decrease in predators for the jellyfish, meaning their numbers will spike.
“But it also means their food source – plankton and microscopic things in the ocean – is clearly there.”
The sightings can be reported to Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Marine Strandings Network, which monitors and records dead marine wildlife strandings.
Nikki, who has lived in Scilly all her life, added: “Jellies capture people’s imagination.
“It’s important to do our bit to help wildlife.”
Mauve stingers, also known as pelagia noctiluca, are small but mighty - here's everything you need to know about them
What do they look like?
Where can they be found?
What do they feed on?
How dangerous are they to humans?
