I had an amazing 16 mile walk yesterday in the most beautiful weather, and along the way, I had two firsts! Hmm, is it possible to have two firsts 🙂 ! No, its not my first sighting of a jellyfish, there have been many of those over recent years. These firsts were different!
The first ‘first’ was that I engaged in conversation with a couple of naturists! My walk took me along the very beautiful Studland Beach, part of which is a designated nudist beach. Now, normally I would walk this part keeping my eyes fixed ahead of me and engaging with no one – in fact in all the years I have been walking this beach, I don’t think I have ever chatted to anyone along this section, apart from perhaps a nod and a hello if they happened to be stood by the water’s edge. This day was different though!
I was walking along in bare feet carrying my shoes and splashing along the water’s edge when this lovely lady very kindly warned me that there was a washed up jellyfish ahead and she didn’t want me to step on it and get stung…..which you can do even if the jellyfish is dead. A little further on, I came across the unhappy creature and that led to my second ‘first’. I got out my camera! Now, I don’t normally do this when I am walking this part of the beach on warm summer days, lest I get pounced on by someone wondering what I am taking photographs of 🙂 ! On this day though, I decided to break that tradition.
While I was taking these photographs, the two naturists came along again and we fell into conversation. They were lovely people, and perfectly normal….well, I’m not sure why shouldn’t they be….it was just that they had no clothes on and I did. It was a first for me though, to be standing on a beach chatting to two naked strangers!
Anyway, to the jellyfish itself, it seems to be a barrel jellyfish and in recent years, it has become a more common sight to see these washed up on our shores. This is because of warming seas and mild winters that allows plankton, their main food source, to thrive in our waters. This, combined with spring tides or rough weather, means that some get washed ashore. Of course another factor is that they are not the best of swimmers!
After a while, we bade farewell, the naturists, the jellyfish and I, and I continued on my way….having past on my blog name so that they could look at the pictures…..the naturists of course, not the jellyfish! If you manage to find this blog, ‘hi’, it was good to chat, and thanks for looking out for my feet 🙂 !
Actually I didn’t get more than a few yards before I came across a THIRD ‘first’ which I am excited about. But that one will have to wait till tomorrow!
Thanks for stopping by.
Until next time,
Your friend
The Dorset Rambler
If you would like to contact me, my email address is terry.yarrow@gmail.com – comments and feedback are always welcomed.
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The Dorset Rambler 
A lovely read – thanks. And your beach looks wonderful. 🙂
Thanks Lynette. It is beautiful, and in fact, the best part of it is the naturist part.
Fab post! Made me chuckle. You have more courage than I! I am not sure I would have ventured that way, ;).
Great photos of the jelly fish! What a magnificent creature!
When I was in the Cairngorms recently, I went to dangle my feet in a Lochan and spotted some odd jelly like things on the floor of the lake. I decided that having no idea what they were, my feet were best kept dry! Is there such a thing as a freshwater jelly fish I wonder?
Or maybe that too, was an alien?
Look forward to more of your adventures.
Thanks Jen 🙂 Yes, there is a freshwater jellyfish so it could have been that, but, equally, it could have been an alien 🙂
I’ve never seen such a huge jellyfish! All the ones I used to see were tiny compared to that. (Thankfully never stung by any, I used to leg it out of the sea double quick when I spotted one.)
I don’t blame you Val 🙂 We quite often find these washed up here, especially after rough weather.