Tag Archives: Moon Jellies

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Marilyn Green noticed Jellyfish washed up on the beach on Saturday. She wrote, “There were at least 50 on Pebble Beach on The Sea Ranch. Some were in the water and looked healthy to me!” I sent Marilyn’s photo to Robert Van Syoc and he identified it as a Moon Jelly, Aurelia aurita. Marilyn’s photo shows the four pink reproductive glands.

These Jellyfish are capable of very little motion and are dependent on where the tides take them. For the 50 or so on the beach, the tides took them the wrong way.

This third photo shows a Moon Jellyfish safe in the water.

Thanks to Marilyn for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

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Ken and Martha Fischer were surprised to see all these Moon Jellies washed up at the mouth of the Garcia River.

Moon Jellies washed up at the mouth of the Garcia River by Ken Fischer

Ken said there were thousands of them and surmised that huge surf had thrown them up onto land.

Moon Jellyfish, Aurelia, are found in most of the world’s oceans. They only live for a few months.

Here's a happier photo, one that Craig Tooley took of Bell Jellies off our Coast.

Bell Jellies JAN by Craig Tooley

This photo appears in my book, Mendonoma Sightings Throughout the Year. Craig is the featured photographer.

Thanks to Ken  and Craig for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is his website: www.ruffimage.com