San Diego Bay

«Large, floating black jellyfish were spotted in San Diego Bay on Tuesday,» according to the Union/​Tribune newspaper. A Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography employee visited the site and said that dozens of black jellies had washed ashore at Shelter Island, some «as large as the lid of a trash can.»
These exotic visitors are mysterious. Not officially described in scientific literature until 1997, these magnificent creatures are not fully known by scientists, but local sightings have increased since 2005. Changing ocean conditions may play a role in this.
The black jellyfish are also known as the black sea nettle, I can tell that from seeing them up close today in San Diego Bay and swimming nearby them-​that they appear as a dark, floating shadow in the Bay waters. Up close, the Black jellyfish have an almost velvety-​looking bell or cap and clear, string-​like tentacles that elegantly dangle behind them. There is a coloration to the trim of the bell and it reminded me of what you might see on the wings of a butterfly or colorful moth. The rest of the Black Jellyfish looked like fluttering layers of ruffled pink lettuce leaves!
These shadowy figures mean no harm unless you get in their way. I made sure that I kept clear of them as they swam along the beaches across from Shelter Island. I had heard from neighbors that at least 50 jellies beached themselves there this past week and kids were throwing rocks at them in the water.
Instructors from the sailing school at nearby Southwestern Yacht Club came along with trash bags this past week and shoveled the dead jellies off the beach so the kids in the sailing school would be safe on the beach. Sean Carey, lifeguard captain for Coronado, was quoted as saying he «had not seen any of the jellies in recent days but would warn his crews to be on the lookout.» It seems that the majority of the black jellies floated in with the tidal flow of San Diego Bay.
5 Unilocal Stars for awesome jellyfish beauty and the opportunity to swim, interact and admire up close these most magnificent of marine creatures!