Thousands of jellyfish have washed up on beaches in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion, with conservationists describing the event as a 'mega swarm'. More than 300 barrel jellyfish were counted in New Quay, Ceredigion, while sightings were also reported in Tenby, Saundersfoot and Newport in Pembrokeshire.
Sarah Perry from Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre said: 'This is definitely a mega swarm. I have never seen them this big before.' She noted that while jellyfish do wash up annually, the scale and size of this year's influx is unusual.
Ms Perry attributed the boom to recent warm weather, which has boosted plankton numbers—the jellyfish's main food source. Mild winters in recent years have also allowed plankton to thrive, contributing to growing jellyfish numbers.
Holidaymaker Wilson Dyer from Suffolk said: 'I've been holidaying here for 40 years and I've never seen this before. They're all the way up the Cardigan Bay coast. It's intriguing, it looks like they all keeled over at the same time.'
Conservationists have urged the public not to move or touch the jellyfish. While relatively harmless, contact can cause a rash similar to that from a stinging nettle. The abundance of jellyfish may also attract feeding leatherback turtles, which would be an 'amazing sight' according to Ms Perry.
