AN URGENT holiday warning has been issued as “monster” jellyfish as big as dustbin lids with a painful sting have been spotted lurking around Spanish beaches.
One group of tourists were left stunned after coming face-to-face with the beast while on a snorkelling excursion in Ibiza.
A group of tourists came face-to-face with a huge ‘monster’ jellyfish in IbizaSUP Ibiza
The Barrel jellyfish can reportedly weigh up to 35kgSUP Ibiza
GettyBarrel jellyfish are usually spotted in September and October[/caption]
The mega-sized Barrel jellyfish was seen bobbing in the Spanish waters leaving the travellers quaking from the encounter.
With a head the size of a dustbin lid, the gigantic sea creature can weigh up to 35kg, according to The Wildlife Trusts.
“In the ten years that we have been organising excursions we have never seen this type of jellyfish at this time of the year,” said Sup Ibiza, the paddle surfing excursions company that made the recent spot in Cala Tarida.
The instructor tagged along with the group and encouraged them to snap photo’s of the enormous “monster” and highlighted that they tend to see these jellyfish in September and October.
The Barrel jellyfish – whose scientific name is Rhizostoma pulmo – is one of the largest species of jellyfish in the Mediterranean.
Also known as the Aguamala, these large creatures can reach up to 90cm across the bell and often wash up to beaches in their hundreds.
They have eight frilly arms which contain their small stinging tentacles and surround hundreds of little mouths.
While their sting is not known to cause any severe harm – they can cause a burning sensation on the skin, dermatitis, and ulcers which confirms it is toxic to humans.
The Wildlife Trust advised anyone who may stumble upon a Barrel jellyfish on their summer holiday to “not handle it as they can still sting when dead”.
Identifying one of these huge jellyfish is not a difficult task given its size, but they are also known for having a violet fringe around their bulbous translucent heads which contains their sensory organs.
This recent spotting Ibiza comes after Alicante’s beaches were overrun with “fried egg” jellyfish last month as tourists were warned of the creature’s sting.
Beachgoers in the UK were also issued an urgent warning after monstrous jellyfish capable of stinging even after it had died was discovered in Wales.
And in May, rare venomous jellyfish able to inflict permeant scars through their sting were spotted washing up on beaches in Ibiza.
WaterFrame – GettyTheir stings are toxic to humans but are not known to cause severe harm[/caption]