Giant Jellyfish Washes Up On Shore, Sea Creature Baffles Beachgoers

A giant jellyfish was spotted by a man who was jogging along a Naples beach in Florida. The sea creature, which measured nearly four-foot-long, baffled beachgoers who came to the spot to take its photos.

The jellyfish was seen lying on the sand along the shore of Vanderbilt Beach in Collier County, local media reported.

Anatoli Smirnov, who first spotted the creature, joked about its monstrous size and told WFLA he “almost got eaten” by the jellyfish. He added there have been plenty of sea creatures that have washed up on the beach, but this was the first time he encountered such a massive jellyfish, which was pink and white in color.

According to marine experts, tentacles on a specific type of jellyfish can extend to about 70 feet -- they are referred to as “Pink Meanie" and are a rare find.

Gayle Spalding, another beachgoer, wanted to know if they should worry about being stung by these creatures.

“One of my girlfriends did years ago and she was hospitalized so it can be dangerous if not handled properly,” Spalding said.

Dr. James Douglass, a marine biologist with Florida Gulf Coast University, told WinkNews that being stung by a “Pink Meanie” would hurt less than other jellyfish.

“It will feel like mosquito bites,” Douglass said. “This particular species is known to get very big but it’s just rare and that’s partly because it’s a predator.”

Douglass added that “Pink Meanie” eats its own kind unlike other jellyfish that feed on plankton.

“The prey of this jellyfish, a moon jelly fish is quite abundant this time of year,” Douglass said. “So there are probably a few more of these pink meanies around because their prey is so abundant.”