There May Be Jellyfish Bigger Than Blue Whales

The ocean can be a wild and wonderful place, but there are some monsters lurking just below the surface. For instance, recent accounts suggest that a giant jellyfish bigger than a blue whale might exist in the depths. The jellyfish appear to be similar to the lion's mane variety, showing up on shorelines from Maine to the Massachusetts southern coast. 

Some researchers suggest this species might be the largest animal in the ocean right now. Of course, there's so much of the undersea that has not yet been explored, so this can only be an estimate. Additionally, jellyfish outside of the water is smaller than jellyfish in the water, due to the way the animals swim across the ocean and use the h2o to fill out the bell shape.  

"Yes, the tentacles are long, but they’re tentacles. They’re not the body of the animal. There’s no way they could compare to a blue whale," said WHOI Senior Science Advisor and marine biologist Larry Madin. As for now, this possibility seems unlikely and largely unknown, but be safe when you're out swimming at the beach this summer. You never know what's just below the surface...

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Post originally appeared on Endeared.