Thousands of jellyfish wash up on Welsh beach

As the warm weather sends us flocking to the beach in our droves, it seems we are not alone! Thousands of Barrel Jellyfish have been found washed up on Cefn Sidan beach in West Wales over the weekend.

The barrel jellyfish is the largest to swim in our waters, with a diameter of up to 90cm and weights of up to 35 kilos. They are also known as frilly-mouthed or dustbin lid jellyfish... 3 guesses why! In summer and autumn as the sea temperature warms up, they may swarm off the coast, and it is common for them to wash up in large numbers.

They might look pretty gruesome, but barrel jellyfish feed entirely on tiny plankton rather than humans! Recent mild winters mean that plankton numbers have risen, which means the jellyfish are thriving too! And whilst their sting is too weak to hurt humans, you are advised not to touch them!