Thousands of dead jellyfish cover beaches in North Devon, England, UK |

Jellyfish on Putsborough. Pic by @redwoodsurfshop

There was an ‘alien’ invasion on North Devon beaches as thousands of jellyfish washed ashore.

Beach users on Saunton, Putsborough, Instow and Westward Ho! all reported seeing the sand littered with the stranded creatures last week.

And according to Dr Peter Richardson, biodiversity programme manager for the Marine Conservation Society, it’s been a ‘bumper year’ for the them.

He said: “Last year was a record year – we had around 1,400 jellyfish sightings and 40 per cent of these were large, barrel jellyfish.

“This year we have had around 600 reports so far and we don’t really know why this is.

“The last time we had anything like this was back in 2002.”

Dr Richardson said moon jellyfish were a common sighting as they ‘bloom’ at this time of year.

“As for the barrel jellyfish, we think in the winter they might be sinking to the sea bed,” he said.

“They are surviving the mild winter and then coming back when the water warms up.”

Dr Richardson added the two breeds had a ‘very mild’ sting which is hardly felt.

Courtesy of northdevongazette.co.uk

http://goo.gl/eV19I5

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Thousands of dead jellyfish cover beaches in North Devon, England, UK