Giant Jellyfish Washes Ashore on US Beach – Warning Issued

A giant jellyfish, with tentacles exceeding 30 meters in length, washed ashore on a beach in Portland, USA, with authorities warning swimmers.

The jellyfish, approximately 1.5 meters wide, was spotted in the waters of Willard Beach in South Portland, as announced by the city on Facebook. "Do not touch it! It stings," authorities warned, posting a photo of the jellyfish.

According to the New York Post, it is a lion's mane jellyfish (Cyanea capillata), commonly found in colder waters. This species has up to 1,200 tentacles divided into eight groups.

Dr. Jerome Piniti, a scientist at the Gulf of Main Research Institute in Portland, stated that the sting of this particular jellyfish species "hurts" and that "they are generally not dangerous unless you are allergic."

Other symptoms may include skin irritation, burning, swelling, and in more severe cases, nausea, confusion, dizziness, difficulty breathing, muscle pain, and cardiac complications.