Another beautiful jellyfish, the crystal jelly (Aequorea victoria), is normally almost perfectly clear but when disturbed it illuminates its outer bell in a blue-green glow using tiny light producing organs. The light producing substance harvested from these guys is aequorin, a calcium-activated photoprotein used in medical research. The crystal jelly is also the very same […]
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Despite it’s name, the Compass Jellyfish has minimal control over the direction it travels or the places it finds itself. Relative to still water they are efficient swimmers but no match for the current, tides, storms and seas of the Wild Atlantic Way coast. These three once beautiful oceanic creatures have found a final place […]
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This exquisite creature is mysterious, captivating and enchanting as it moves through the ocean with a grace all its own. This time of the year in the waters off Ireland they are everywhere and make incredible subjects of photography or observation while waiting to off-gas on our safety stop. They are also everywhere on beaches, […]
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The Bluebottle jellyfish (Physalia utriculus), also known as the Pacific Man O’War, is a complete stranger to my local South Australian waters but here on Bondi Beach, Sydney we found hundreds of them washed ashore. One poor unsuspecting child must have found these bright blue toys scattered all around too irresistible to ignore. We heard […]
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