An underwater videographer in Australia has shared his fascination with the beautiful lion’s mane jellyfish in a hypnotic new video of the animal cruising through the ocean like an underwater Cousin Itt.
“I think I might have a new obsession this summer,” says Szabi Nemeth when sharing the footage on Instagram. “These lion’s mane jellyfish are just unreal.”
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In the video, the jelly “gets completely tossed around by the whitewash – its long, trailing tentacles flailing like a wild tangle of hair in a storm,” says scuba diving organisation PADI about the post.
“For a moment, it was pure chaos, with tiny fish caught in the swirling mess. But within minutes, the jellyfish pulled itself back together, its tentacles reorganising as it drifted away with effortless grace.”
The lion’s mane jellyfish (Cyanea capillata) is one of the world’s largest known species of jelly. The mass of bushy tentacles that give them their name can grow to 10 metres long and deliver a nasty sting.
Nemeth was so enthralled by the jellies that he was even snubbing nearby sharks. “Meanwhile, the leopard sharks are probably wondering why I’ve been completely ignoring them,” he says. “Sorry guys, it’s not you, it’s me.”
Lion's mane jellyfish. Credit: Szabi Nemeth / @szabi_nemeth
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