Lizzie Daly, a wildlife biologist and Swansea University Fellow, was in the waters in southwestern England when the barrel jellyfish appeared.
Daly stated the video in which she explained that she’s never had a chance to see a barrel fish or any jellyfish this big and that it was the same dimensions as the one she had.
“Out of the murky water came this gentle giant. It was incredible. It was like a massive boiled egg,” Daly described in an interview with CNN about the human-sized jellyfish.
It was part of the “Wild Ocean Week” campaign that raised funds for the Marine Conservation Society. The remarkable scene was captured by a diver named Dan Abbott.
According to the Wildlife Trusts, barrel jellyfish are among the largest ones found in the waters throughout the United Kingdom and typically can reach 3 feet in size.
While coming across this massive jellyfish would undoubtedly surprise everyone, Daly told the Guardian it was “such a serene, grounding experience” to swim alongside the “gentle giant.”
