12 July 2023 , 16:56
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Incredible images capture the moment a kayaker and his daughter ended up in the middle of a 'jellyfish soup'. Chris Denehy spotted the creatures on a paddle this week - capturing thousands of them surrounding his kayak.
He explains: "I run Clearwater Paddling, a sea kayak guiding company based on the Isle of Barra in the Outer Hebrides.
"I was leading a group exploring the cliffs and caves on the west coast of Barra when my 15-year-old daughter Ellie spotted the compass jellyfish in a rocky gully. They were in a steep sided rocky inlet on Grean Head.
"I jokingly said it was like 'kayaking in jelly fish soup gently stirred by a kayak paddle'."
Named as their markings make them resemble a compass, the jellyfish can give a nasty sting, continuing even after their tentacles detach (Chris Denehy / SWNS)
Chris Denehy out at sea (Chris Denehy / SWNS)Named as their markings make them resemble a compass, the jellyfish can give a nasty sting, continuing even after their tentacles detach.
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Chris adds: "Over the last 25 years I have seen large groups of jellyfish over the summer months when we are out kayaking, but this was totally exceptional and fascinating to have such a close up encounter. But not perhaps the best place to capsize out of a kayak."
Chris paddling through the jellyfish in the Outer Hebrides (Chris Denehy / SWNS)Compass jellyfish, also known as Chrysaora hysoscella, can be seen in British waters from May to October.
The jellyfish inhabit coastal waters in temperate regions of the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, including the North Sea and Mediterranean Sea. In the past it was also recorded in the southeastern Atlantic, including South Africa, but this was caused by confusion with close relatives.