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Two divers who swam alongside an enormous jellyfish off the Cornwall
coast have said the encounter was a "humbling" experience.
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Dan Abbott and Lizzie Daly got up close and personal with the barrel
jellyfish during a week-long project documenting marine encounters.
They were originally supposed to be filming blue sharks, but had to
revert to "plan b" when inclement weather meant that trip was cancelled.
The image of the jellyfish has gone viral after it was shared on social
media.
Mr Abbott, from Colchester in Essex, said that had led to "the craziest
three days of my life" but the "feeling of being with it underwater" was
the best part of the experience.
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The divers were taking part in wildlife biologist Lizzie Daly's
fundraising project Wild Ocean Week.
They had travelled around the UK for a week filming a series of marine
experiences and documenting them on social media to raise money for the
Marine Conservation Society.
Mr Abbott said: "We weren't looking for [the jellyfish] - we didn't know
it was going to be there."
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Ms Daly, who is from Wales and a fellow at Swansea University, said she
"had her face in some kelp" when she turned round and noticed the huge
gelatinous creature.
"I went to have a closer look, only to be surprised by how enormous it
was," she added.
Neither of the pair had seen a jellyfish that was close to the same size
before and Ms Daly described the experience of diving with the "gentle
giant" as "humbling".
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Mr Abbot said it was "a lot easier" to capture images of such a sedate
animal drifting along between 7m to 10m under the water, very shallow
depths by scuba diving standards.
"You can put yourself in a position where you know you're not going to
be in its way," he said.
Barrel jellyfish:
The bell of a large barrel jellyfish can be up to 90cm in diameter and
they can weigh as much as 35kg
Because of their size they are also known as "dustbin-lid jellyfish"
They are not considered dangerous, with only a mild sting
Barrel jellyfish are typically seen near the southern and western coasts
between May and October
They feed by using their sting to stun small organisms like plankton in
the water and then ingest them
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