This is the moment when David Peake came face-to-tentacle with a massive golden jellyfish - a 4ft-long blob floating off the coast of Cornwall Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water...
This is the moment when a diver came face-to-tentacle with a massive golden jellyfish - a four foot long blob floating off the coast of Cornwall.
The creature - also known as the Rhizostoma Octopus - is one of the most intimidating looking animals found in British coastal waters.
But despite its size and eight wriggling tentacles, it is completely harmless and unable to sting.
But despite the size of the rhizostoma octopus and its eight wriggling tentacles, it is completely harmless and unable to stingDave Peake, 66, snatched underwater pictures of the monster creature and after he spotted it off Whitsand Bay in Cornwall.
Retired police diver Dave, from Yelverton, near Plymouth, Devon, said it was the biggest one of the jellyfish he had seen.
'These creatures tend to be big old things, but this one was particularly large. About three or four feet long with its tentacles, he said.
'I wanted to get myself in the picture to show its size and I ended up face-to-face with it. It was inches away.
'They look scary because they are so big, but they are quite harmless and don't sting at all.
'They do come to the UK frequently, but this time I saw only the one. They drift across the Atlantic to Britain in the summer sometimes.'
The father-of-one said the appearance of the jellyfish could be encouraging leatherback turtles to come to our shores, with one spotted recently.
A group of kayakers reported seeing one of the sea turtles last week off Sennen Cove near Land's End in Cornwall.
'These types of jellyfish are a favourite food of leatherback turtles, so this might be an indication that we might see some around this summer,' he sad.
'We've had some hot weather and quite an influx of the small blue jellyfish - and then this one. So I think we could get a few more.'
Rhizostoma Octopus, despite their name, are large jellyfish which feed on plankton.
Each of their eight legs has a sticky band which is made up of numerous mouths for catching food.
The creatures are found around the southern and western shores of Britain and Ireland - and can be seen as far north as the Outer Hebrides.
They can sometimes be seen stranded on the beach, or trapped in rock pools.
Scientists believe it lives in deep water in the winter, and floats in to shallows to breed.
Mr Peake added: "This jellyfish didn't look one hundred per cent healthy - but perhaps that was because it had come all across the Atlantic.'
source: dailymail
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