An image of a gigantic jellyfish at a beach in South Korea, taken in 2008, has recently gone viral on the social media platform Reddit.
According to Reddit user Alesig, he captured this photo at a beach near Incheon, South Korea, in 2008, but has never seen anything as large since then, as reported by Newsweek on August 10.
Many Reddit users speculate that this enormous creature could be a Nomura’s jellyfish. Gill Mapstone, a jellyfish expert at the Natural History Museum in London, agrees with this assessment.
The Nomura’s jellyfish is known for its large bell, comparable in size to the lion’s mane jellyfish, the largest jellyfish species in the world.
“It has a dome-shaped bell with a diameter of 2 meters and can weigh up to 200 kg,” Mapstone stated.
Reddit user Alesig photographed the Nomura’s jellyfish at a beach in South Korea in 2008. (Photo: Alesig).
Many commenters expressed their fears, with one stating, “There are some countries where you shouldn’t go swimming.”
This colossal creature is typically found in the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea. Its long tentacles contain venom that can cause itching, swelling, acute pain, and in some cases, may even be fatal.
“Generally, stings are not lethal, but they can cause severe pain for about half an hour before subsiding. However, there have been reports of fatalities from China,” Mapstone added.
The population of Nomura’s jellyfish has been rapidly increasing, prompting the South Korean government to warn beachgoers about the risk of jellyfish stings.
According to the Korea Times, up to 10 jellyfish per 100 square meters have been spotted in the waters off South Gyeongsang Province since July 19.
Scientific studies indicate that rising sea temperatures, coastal development, and overfishing in recent years have contributed to the robust growth of this jellyfish species.
