Jellyfish

Little evidence of jellyfish so far this summer. | Archive

Andrew EdePalma16/07/2023 09:02
TW
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So far this summer there has been a general absence of jellyfish at beaches in Mallorca. Marine surveillance systems indicate that the most abundant jellyfish, Pelagia noctiluca, has barely appeared.

Antoni Grau, the head of marine resources at the Balearic government's directorate of fisheries, says that one of the main reasons is that there haven't been storms, and so the currents haven't brought jellyfish towards the shore. Their usual habitat is at least 300 metres away.

An absence now doesn't mean that there won't be jellyfish later in the season. There are bound to be, especially once stormy conditions start, which is typically the case in late August.

Marine surveillance suggests that the large Rhizostoma luteum jellyfish, which has been present for the past three years, does not seem likely to be this summer.