That Big Red Blob? Look, But Don't Touch—It's a Lion's Mane Jelly

Sometimes you just never know what you’ll spot on an Edmonds beach.

Actually, it is possible to know, most of the time. That’s thanks to the Edmonds Discovery Program, which has identified most of the sea anemones and various crustaceans, chitons, sea slugs, snails, crab, clams, mussels, sponges and other sea life that we share our beaches with.

On Monday, several beachcombers gathered around a puffy, see-through, red blob of life that washed up on the beach at Brackett’s Landing North. Some sort of jellyfish for sure, said one. A Portuguese Man o' War?

No one had a smart phone handy, but the answer could have been found out pretty quickly online in the Marine Life Guide section of the Edmonds Discovery Program’s website. There, on the Anemones & Relatives subheading, was what appeared to be the blob on the beach: a Lion’s Mane Jelly.

An e-mail to Sally Lider with an attached picture of the jelly confirmed it. Lider is environment education coordinator for the Edmonds Parks and Recreation department. She knows her sea creatures.

This particular brand of jellyfish, the world’s largest, garnered some local attention in July when a particularly large Lion’s Mane Jelly washed up at Kayak Point, south of Stanwood.

Our Edmonds Lion’s Mane Jelly wasn’t quite as big, but it was just as spectacular.

One note of caution: Lider says the sting of the Lion’s Mane Jelly is particularly potent. And it can still getcha you after it’s dead. Ouch.

So the next time you’re strolling on the beach and wonder what it is you’re seeing, don’t forget to check out the Discovery Program’s website.

Remember, though, that Edmonds beaches are marine sanctuaries. That means you are not allowed to take anything off the beach with you.

Not that you would even want to take a jellyfish home, right?