We get up close with one of the largest jellyfish species in the ocean

All footage by Dan Abbott

This past July, biologist and BBC host Lizzie Daly set out on a one-week adventure to highlight the beauty and fragility of marine life all across the UK’s coasts for her campaign Wild Ocean Week. With underwater cinematographer Dan Abbott filming each dive, Daly encountered whales, seals, and dolphins—but the animal encounter on day seven went viral.

Right off the Cornwall Coast, Daly came across a giant barrel jellyfish as big as she is. Among the largest jellyfish in world, Rhizotoma pulmo follow summer plankton blooms along Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines. Each of their wavy arms has hundreds of tiny mouths, and their tentacles even serve as habitat for juvenile trout and salmon.

Barrel jellyfish are typically half a meter long and a meter across, but the gentle giant Lizzie swam with was closer to 1.5 meters long and a full meter across. It likely weighed over 80 pounds. Parley caught up with Lizzie and Dan to hear more about the encounter.

Q & A

Were you expecting to see a jellyfish that big? What was your reaction?

Lizzie: We weren’t expecting anything. It was an absolute delight to get that experience. We spent an hour swimming with it. Barrel jellyfish are the largest species in UK waters and are known to be distinctively large, but I’ve never seen a barrel fish or any jellyfish that big. It was the size of my body. Absolutely incredible.

Dan: It took me a few seconds to figure out what it was, and then there was a moment of “Oh wow!” Then the cameraman in me took over, and I started trying to get as many interesting angles as I could, not knowing how long I’d have to capture it!

Were you scared?

Dan: Watching a slow, graceful animal in beautiful conditions is not the time for an underwater cameraman to feel afraid.

Lizzie: I wasn’t scared. They’re not a threat. They have a mild sting, but they’re not harmful to humans.

How was the rest of the week’s filming?

Dan: It was a really special week, not just because we were able to see and film some stunning UK marine wildlife, but because it was very raw. Sometimes the wildlife didn’t show up, sometimes weather cancelled our plans for us, and sometimes you encounter an animal that goes viral around the world.

Lizzie: Wild Ocean Week was fantastic. I feel very lucky to see wildlife all over the world and to have these incredible encounters, but the best part is sharing those stories. Those experiences are nothing if you don’t share them to inspire and connect with others.

What would you say to aspiring explorers and naturalists?

Dan: One of the main messages we kept running throughout the week was that anyone can go out and see what the ocean has to offer, which is what I would say to anyone wanting to explore or get into learning about wildlife.

Lizzie: Exactly, the one thing I’d say is that you can see so many exciting things on the coast. Get in the water, grab a snorkel mask. Just go for it to see what’s out there. Anybody can go out and get in the water with a giant barrel jellyfish.