Jelly explosion on our beaches

LARGER AND MORE DANGEROUS SPECIMENS TO WASH UP

- By ANDREW FORGRAVE Countryside and Tourism Editor [e-mail]

MONSTER jellyfish are likely to wash up on Welsh beaches in growing numbers in the coming years, a marine expert has warned.

With the UK currently in the grip of a marine heatwave, warmer waters will bring larger and more dangerous - sea creatures closer to coastlines.

This summer, social media has been awash with photos of jumbo jellyfish on Gwynedd's west coast beaches. In recent weeks, giants have also begun washing up on the North Wales coast in Conwy. A few have been reported on Rhyl beach, Denbighshire.

On Monday, July 7, Manchester visitor Lisa Whittaker came across several on Rhos on Sea beach. Valiantly she tried to slide one back into the water but she gave up after realising it was probably dead already.

Stranded jellyfish are 95% water and they rapidly dehydrate when exposed to wind and sun. "Never in my life have I seen one like it - and probably never again," she marvelled.

"Impressively enormous" jellyfish have also been reported on Colwyn Bay beach. Local woman Dawn Roberts was left "shocked" by one, saying: "Never seen one so big in my life!

All were barrel jellyfish, a British native that are the giants of the jellyfish world. Strandings are not uncommon on Welsh beaches but, anecdotally, people are reporting ever bigger specimens.

Certainly, feeding conditions this year have been ideal. UK waters are currently experiencing their second major heatwave off 2025, with sea surface temperatures currently well above average in the Celtic Sea, English Channel and southern North Sea.