\n Christopher Bee was walking near Boscombe Pier when he came across the animal, believed to be a barrel jellyfish, measuring around 30 inches across.\n<\/p>\n
\n The semi-retired landlord, who has lived in Bournemouth for three decades, walks along the beach every morning and regularly keeps an eye out for wildlife.\n<\/p>\n
\n But he said he had never seen a jellyfish quite like the one he discovered stranded at the water\u2019s edge.\n<\/p>\n
\n Chris said: \u201cI couldn\u2019t believe the size of this enormous jellyfish.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cIt\u2019s very unusual, I have never seen one this big before.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n Jellyfish (Image: Christopher Bee)\n<\/p>\n
\n He recalled the jellyfish was \u201ca good couple of foot, maybe even more\u201d across as it lay on the sand near the pier.\n<\/p>\n
\n The species is believed to be a barrel jellyfish (Rhizostoma pulmo), also known as a \u201cdustbin-lid jellyfish\u201d because of its large, circular shape.\n<\/p>\n
\n Barrel jellyfish are among the largest species found in British waters, with adults capable of growing up to one metre across and weighing as much as 35kg.\n<\/p>\n
\n They are recognisable by their translucent, rubbery domes and eight thick, frilly oral arms, which hang beneath their bodies and resemble cauliflower.\n<\/p>\n
\n Despite their impressive size, barrel jellyfish feed on plankton and have a relatively mild sting that is generally harmless to humans.\n<\/p>\n
\n Intrigued by the unusual discovery, Chris filmed the jellyfish and shared the footage on Facebook, where it attracted more than 60,000 views.\n<\/p>\n
\n The video prompted a flurry of comments from people reacting to the size of the animal.\n<\/p>\n
\n Chris said: \u201cIt was absolutely amazing, but I wouldn\u2019t want to swim into it, I bet it looks even bigger in the water.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n However, the jellyfish did not stay on the beach for long. Chris said it appeared to have returned to the water shortly after he spotted it.\n<\/p>\n
\n When he turned around and walked back past the same stretch of beach, the animal had disappeared.\n<\/p>\n
\n The jellyfish is not the first unusual wildlife encounter Chris has had during his daily walks along the Bournemouth coastline.\n<\/p>\n
\n Chris recently watched a gull battling with what he initially thought was a snake in the water, before realising it was likely to be an eel.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u00a0He said he will continue to keep an eye out for wildlife appearing across Bournemouth’s coastline.\n<\/p>\n
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