Tag Archives: marine life

The Day I Met a Giant Jellyfish Off Cathedral Rocks

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A large jellyfish with a purple‑pink bell drifts through green murky water, its long translucent tentacles trailing behind it.

Why Cape Cod’s Lion’s Mane Jellyfish Made Me Remember

Hearing about the invasion of Lion’s Mane jellyfish on Cape Cod had me reminiscing. Remember, I’m old enough, so I’m allowed.

So let me tell you about the time I met what I now think might have been a Lion’s Mane jellyfish.

Cold, Murky New England Diving Conditions

I was scuba diving off Cathedral Rocks in Rockport.  The water is pretty deep there, and New England waters are never clear. It’s not like diving in the Caribbean where the water is warm and you can see for 100 feet or more. Diving up here, even in the summer, requires a ¼‑inch to 1/2 inch wetsuit for warmth. Visibility is 2–3 feet, if you’re lucky.

Losing Track of My Dive Buddy

The number one rule is to never dive alone. Hmmm… I’ve been known to ignore that rule, but not on this day. I had a dive buddy, but it was just the two of us, and I’d lost track of him.

Suspended at 65 Feet in Perfect Stillness

We were in deep water. I was floating at about 65 feet. I’d hit the sweet spot — perfect neutral buoyancy.

At that depth, there’s no top or bottom. The world becomes a vertical void. You can’t look up and see the surface, and you can’t look down and see the ocean floor. The only way to know which direction is “up” is by watching your bubbles rise.

Most sport diving happens in 25–40 feet of water, so you don’t usually get this effect. But at 65 feet, suspended in the water column, you feel like you’re hanging in space. I didn’t need to move. I could just float there, watching my bubbles drift upward and enjoying the stillness.

A Shape Appears in the Murk

While I was hanging there, looking for my dive buddy’s bubbles, I caught a glimpse of something in the murky water. It was just at the edge of my vision, and it was big. I don’t remember being afraid, just curious. So I stayed very still. What a feeling.

The Giant Jellyfish Emerges

Out of that murk, a huge jellyfish came floating toward me. The bell expanded and contracted like bellows. At the time I thought it was a moon jelly, but if so, it was the biggest one I’ve ever seen. It’s possible it was a Lion’s Mane.

In any case, it was an amazing moment — the stillness, the murky water, and the perfect balance that let me just hang there and watch this thing approach.

A Movie Moment Underwater

I remember thinking it was like watching a scene from a movie where the Blob emerges to terrify the unsuspecting protagonist — in this case, me. But I wasn’t terrified. I was fascinated.

The Unexpected Sting

As the creature floated past me, I felt a sting on my face just under my mask. I’d been tagged by a trailing tentacle. It was just a tiny gossamer thread. I didn’t even see it, but I felt it.

My wetsuit and mask protected me from all but that one tiny thread. I was lucky. If it was a Lion’s Mane, I could have been seriously stung, but it was just the one tentacle, and it left me with a vision I’ve cherished for years.

Why the Moment Stayed With Me

It was one of those things that makes the ocean special to me — not something you see or experience every day. Of course, I don’t want to get stung every day, but this was no worse than a bee sting on land. A moment’s annoyance to see such a beautiful creature in the wild.

Moon Jelly or Lion’s Mane — It Doesn’t Matter

Moon jelly or Lion’s Mane — it doesn’t matter to me. It was a mystical moment.

Note: These photos are amazing photos thaken by talented underwater photographers and posted on the internet. No copywrite info was available. My thanks to the folks that shared and posted these images.

Breaking News From WMWO- Lion’s Mane on Cape Cod

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🚨 WMEO Channel 9 SPECIAL REPORT

We Meow… You Listen.

Banner: Attention Cape Cod beachgoers! This is a breaking news alert from your intrepid feline reporters, Banner and Balboa, broadcasting live from the Feline Desk at WMEO Channel 9.

Balboa: And trust us… this one’s a doozy.

 

🦁 LION’S MANE JELLYFISH INVADE CAPE WATERSA translucent jellyfish with a soft pink bell floats in shallow, clear water. Sunlight creates rippling patterns on the sandy, pebble‑covered bottom, and long thin tentacles trail gently beneath the jellyfish.

As if sharks weren’t enough to keep humans on their toes, Cape Cod has seen a noticeable increase in Lion’s Mane jellyfish drifting into local waters this season.

Banner: These aren’t your average jelly blobs.

Balboa: They’re the largest jellyfish species on Earth.

Their bells can reach 8 feet wide, and their tentacles can stretch an astonishing 100–120 feet—longer than Banner’s list of grievances.

Since May, these gelatinous giants have been drifting into Cape Cod waters with the tides, showing up in coves, beaches, and anywhere warm currents carry them.

⚠️ FELINE WARNING:

Balboa: If you see one—alive or dead—stay far, far away.

Banner: Their tentacles can still sting even when the jellyfish is basically a melted ghost on the sand.

🌡️ WHY THEY’RE HERE

Warming ocean temperatures this year have created perfect jellyfish conditions. As long as the water stays warm and winds blow onshore, Lion’s Manes will continue to appear.

Banner: Translation: don’t expect them to disappear anytime soon.

Balboa: We’ll be monitoring the situation from our climate‑controlled command center. With snacks.

🐾 THIS HAS BEEN A WMEO CHANNEL 9 SPECIAL REPORT

From the Feline Desk, your reporters Banner & Balboa are signing off.

Banner: Stay safe out there, humans.

Balboa: And remember—We Meow… You Listen.

End of bulletin. Please resume your regularly scheduled scrolling.

Its World Crocodile Day

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Crocodile resting on a riverbank, highlighting the species for World Crocodile Day and its role in wetland ecosystems.

World Crocodile Day

It’s World Crocodile Day, coming right on the heels of World Turtle Day — another reminder that some of Earth’s oldest creatures are fighting for their future.

Crocodiles are incredible animals. They’ve been around since the age of the dinosaurs, surviving the mass extinction that wiped out nearly everything else. A meteor couldn’t take them out… but humans are giving it a pretty good try through habitat destruction, pollution, and hunting.

Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter himself, understood them better than most. He once said, “Crocodiles are easy. They try to kill and eat you. People are harder. Sometimes they pretend to be your friend first.” He wasn’t wrong.

 

Crocodile Facts

  • Crocodiles can be found in nearly every corner of the world — North and South America, Africa, Australia, and Asia.
  • The Florida Everglades is the only place on Earth where crocodiles and alligators live together.
  • You can tell them apart by their snouts: alligators have broad, rounded snouts, while crocodiles have narrow, pointed ones.
  • Crocodiles tend to be larger. The saltwater crocodile can exceed 20 feet and weigh over 2,000 pounds.
  • Alligators are usually smaller. The American alligator typically reaches 10–15 feet and weighs 500–1,000 pounds.
  • Crocodiles can live in both freshwater and saltwater.
  • There are 15 species worldwide, including Australia’s famous “salties” and the Nile crocodile — found, of course, in the Nile River.

Crocodiles are living dinosaurs, apex predators perfectly adapted to their environments. They deserve the same chance at survival as every other creature sharing this planet.

It’s up to us to protect their habitats, reduce pollution, and ensure these ancient reptiles continue to thrive for generations to come.

Crocodiles survived the dinosaurs’ extinction. They shouldn’t have to survive us!

 

World Sea Turtle Day

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Honoring the Ancient Guardians of the Sea

Sea turtles have been gliding through Earth’s oceans for more than 100 million years — long before humans, long before the continents looked the way they do today. These ancient mariners include seven species: green, hawksbill, Kemp’s ridley, leatherback, loggerhead, and the Olive ridley. The mighty leatherback holds the title of the largest of them all.

Sadly, nearly every species now faces danger. Hawksbills and Kemp’s ridleys sit at the edge of extinction as marine debris, habitat destruction, and poaching continue to threaten their survival.

The Honu, Sacred Turtles of Hawaii

snuba at Turtletown 2020

In Hawaii, people honor sea turtles as sacred beings. Five species live in Hawaiian waters: the green sea turtle (honu), the hawksbill (Honuʻea or ʻea) , the leatherback, the loggerhead, and the Olive Ridley.

Sea turtles are gentle giants, drifting with the currents and living quietly for 50–100 years — unless humans interfere. Their favorite meal is jellyfish, but our plastic addiction has turned the ocean into a minefield. Floating plastic bags look like jellyfish, and when a turtle swallows one, it fills their stomach and blocks real food. The result is slow, heartbreaking starvation.

On World Sea Turtle Day, let’s honor these ancient travelers by protecting the oceans they call home. Reduce plastic use, keep beaches clean, and give sea turtles the space and respect they deserve. The seas belong to them too — and they’ve been here far longer than we have.

 

A Tough Morning for Conservation — and One Bright Spot of Hope

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Crisp autumn morning at Mount Moran in Grand Teton National Park, the snowy peak mirrored perfectly in the calm water below.

Mount Moran reflected in the Snake River.. Grand Teton National Park

This morning I want to take a few minutes to get serious about a subject I truly care about. Not my cats and their furry antics. No joking around today. We’re facing a real shift in environmental conservation, and it’s not a good one for wildlife or the planet. We only have one world, and we need to do everything we can to keep it a safe, stable home to pass on to future generations.

Environmental Protections Under Pressure

Several news outlets reported new efforts to reduce or remove federal protections on land surrounding major national parks, including areas connected to Yellowstone. Conservation groups warn that these buffer zones support wildlife corridors — the pathways animals rely on to migrate, breed, and survive. Without them, the parks turn into isolated pockets instead of functioning ecosystems.

Other reports describe changes to protections for certain marine reserves. These changes open the door to expanded commercial activity in areas originally set aside to safeguard ocean habitats. Marine scientists and environmental organizations say the shift could weaken long‑standing conservation work.

Whether people support or oppose these policy goals, the impact is real. Wildlife, water quality, and future generations all feel the effects. It’s hard not to feel a sense of loss when protections that took decades to build can disappear so quickly.

A Reminder That Conservation Still Works

In the middle of all that discouraging news, something else crossed my feed — and it reminded me why conservation matters.

Just hours after California completed its first wildlife bridge, three deer walked across it. Fifteen hours. That’s all it took for wildlife to recognize and use a safe passage built for them. The moment felt like a small miracle. It showed how quickly nature responds when we choose protection over exploitation.

Wildlife bridges save lives — both animal and human. They reconnect fragmented habitats. They give species a fighting chance. And they prove that when we invest in solutions, we see results.

So yes, today’s headlines were heavy. But that photo of the deer on the new bridge offered a spark of hope. Even in difficult times, progress is still possible — and worth fighting for.

We only get one planet. Let’s do everything we can to protect the wild places that make it extraordinary.