Daniel Macleod and his two children were fishing off the coast of Dunbeath, Scotland, when they came across a “dense, thick mass” of jellyfish — and the dad captured the moment on camera
A family were left stunned after sailing into a massive “sea of jellyfish” during a fishing trip.
Daniel Macleod, 37, had taken his twin boys out on their small boat off the coast of Dunbeath, Scotland, when they suddenly floated into a “dense, thick mass” of jellyfish. Daniel captured the stunning sight as thousands of moon jellyfish swarmed around Dunbeath Bay, located on the coast of Caithness.
The dad said: “Myself and my twin boys Max and Jake were heading out to do a bit of handline fishing for mackerel. We started noticing jellyfish immediately after leaving the harbour – there were a lot more jellyfish than normal.”
He added: “Immediately as we got into Dunbeath Bay, it was just a carpet of moon jellyfish. We went a little bit further to where we would normally put our handlines down, and it was just this dense, thick mass of jellyfish.
“My sons were very excited – they’ve seen jellyfish when we’ve been out before, but normally just an odd one or two. They were amazed by this sheer carpet of jellyfish – a sea of jellyfish is what they called it.
“It was quite unbelievable to see – it was something that I’ve certainly never witnessed in my years of being fishing.” Daniel was concerned about the potential effect the swarm might have on the boat, but thankfully, they passed through without issue.
However, Daniel said their fishing trip was impacted, as they didn’t manage to get the amount of fish they would normally catch. “We were okay with the boat, but there obviously is a worry there, because the boat does have to draw water from the sea to cool the engine down,” he said.
“That comes from underneath the boat, and when you’re going through that dense mass of jellyfish, there is a potential of the water intake being blocked. Luckily, nothing did happen in regards to the boat – but the fishing was not like it normally would be.
“It was definitely harder fishing – we didn’t catch anywhere near what we would normally, so something was a little bit different in the waters.” Daniel posted the footage on social media, receiving shocked reactions from friends and family.
“I think people were quite shocked and amazed that we have this on our doorstep,” he said. “It’s definitely rare – but we’ve seen a couple of rare sightings out here in Dunbeath Bay.
“Last year, we saw a fin whale right beside the boat, then a beagle shark as well. Things are a little bit different in our waters here in Dunbeath for some reason.”
Scotland’s coastal waters host several jellyfish species, with blooms peaking in the summer. While most stings are mild, species like the Lion’s Mane and Compass jellyfish can inflict severe, painful stings. The Marine Conservation Society tracks UK sightings and urges the public to report encounters.
The moon jellyfish is the most common jellyfish in UK seas, often washing up on our beaches, according to The Wildlife Trusts. This species of jellyfish, which doesn’t sting, can be recognised by a round, dome-shaped jelly, translucent with four purple circular markings around the centre.