Moon Jellyfish

Photo: Poul Erik Rasmussen · © all rights reserved

Moon jellyfish fill the upper water column of Tori-Ike in pulsing congregations, their translucent bells catching the filtered sunlight filtering through the mangrove canopy. Having evolved in predator-free isolation, these animals have reduced stinging nematocysts and produce negligible irritation on human skin, making swimming through them a safe and extraordinary experience. Their population cycles with plankton blooms driven by the tidal exchange through the underground channel.