video - Jellyfish under a full moon

**kurt** · 07-19-2008, 03:14 PM

After the paddle board races at Oyster Lake I headed down to Grayton Beach and slipped the kayak into a flat gulf. There were a few schools of Skipjack and jellyfish were everywhere. I got a little distracted as I tried to follow the first jelly with my camera underwater and rolled the boat right over. I had a little rush of fear as I hit the water, thinking I might get stung all over. A few seconds after I got back in the kayak I realized I had a litlle sting on my face and a big one on my arm and chest. It wasn't too bad so I ignored it and kept shooting video. The dozens of small fish living in the tentacles of each jelly was an amazing sight, as the sun set on one side the moon rose on the other.

[ame="http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1676371734"]Brightcove.TV Is Off The Air[/ame]

**InletBchDweller** · 07-19-2008, 03:25 PM

Kurt, That was amazing!
THanks!

**3crows** · 07-19-2008, 03:37 PM

wonderful! thanks for sharing

**Miss Critter** · 07-19-2008, 04:01 PM

Way cool, Kurt. Thanks!

**dunelover** · 07-19-2008, 04:04 PM

incredible video, thanks for sacrificing for us!

**Bobby J** · 07-19-2008, 04:09 PM

Great video Kurt. Waves n the way mid week and all those Jellies are gonna hurt!

**Carol G** · 07-19-2008, 04:14 PM

Way cool, thanks for sharing... The gulf has been gorgeous the past couple nights.

**Jdarg** · 07-19-2008, 04:23 PM

You must speak jellyfishish. They seemed to be performing for the camera. Thanks for taking one for the team in the making of this video!

Oh yeah- where's the part where you fell into the water?

**Johnrudy** · 07-19-2008, 05:01 PM

Very nice. How big in diameter were some of these jellies?

**Miss Kitty** · 07-19-2008, 05:09 PM

Shock

and Awe

! That was amazing! Thanks!

**diamonddazzler** · 07-19-2008, 10:06 PM

Guess I wasn't aware we had some that big around here. All i've seen are little tiny one's so far. Hope I don't get tangled with one of those. Thanks for that video. What a great capture on tape. That is crazy how the fish follow around in the tenticles.

**kathydwells** · 07-19-2008, 10:22 PM

The things you do for us Daddy-O! Thank you!

That was amazing!

**Ocean Lover** · 07-19-2008, 11:36 PM

WoW! incredible. That thing looked ginormous! Sorry you got stung Daddy-o but thanks for sharing. Underwater video rocks!

**Franny** · 07-20-2008, 09:23 AM

Are the fishys' trapped in the jelly? All I can say is National Geographic!

**beach ho** · 07-20-2008, 10:51 AM

Very Cool! Thanks

**NotDeadYet** · 07-20-2008, 04:05 PM

Way cool, thanks a bunch.

**30A Skunkape** · 07-20-2008, 06:01 PM

Nice work!

**tebo** · 07-20-2008, 06:11 PM

Kurt, are you trying for a position with National Geographic? I think you may qualify. Good job.

**DuneAHH** · 07-21-2008, 04:56 AM

Originally Posted by diamonddazzler

Guess I wasn't aware we had some that big around here. All i've seen are little tiny one's so far. Hope I don't get tangled with one of those. Thanks for that video. What a great capture on tape. That is crazy how the fish follow around in the tenticles.

My thoughts exactly ddazz!
Excellent Kurt... So other-worldly.

**micki** · 07-21-2008, 07:03 AM

Excellent videography! Does anyone know what kind of jellyfish that is? I don't think it's a moon jelly.

**Mango** · 07-21-2008, 07:03 AM

Wow, very cool. National Geographic worthy.

Thanks for the jelly fish "sting."

**Cheering472** · 07-21-2008, 08:43 AM

Amazing

Thanks Kurt, you make a good jellyfish wrangler. Hope the stings are better.

**grammyc** · 07-21-2008, 09:16 AM

Kurt-you are a very BRAVE man! AND excellent with that camera. What kind is it? I have an olympus 770sw digital/water and hope to do some shooting from my kayak while there in aug. Also how do you keep it so still as in your other kayak videos?

Keep shooting, you're a natural!

**Hop** · 07-21-2008, 09:46 AM

Originally Posted by Franny

Are the fishys' trapped in the jelly? All I can say is National Geographic!

those guys look pretty gnarly...they were out in force yesterday @ crab island....

**Beachmom** · 07-21-2008, 12:47 PM

Beautiful Kurt!

Thanks for sharing!

**Allifunn** · 07-21-2008, 08:03 PM

COOL!!!!
I didn't know jelly fish were an eco system of their own!

**kurt** · 07-21-2008, 08:42 PM

Thanks everyone!

Originally Posted by jdarg

You must speak jellyfishish. They seemed to be performing for the camera. Thanks for taking one for the team in the making of this video!

Oh yeah- where's the part where you fell into the water?

That's on the outtakes video.

Originally Posted by Johnrudy

Very nice. How big in diameter were some of these jellies?

They're what we call cannonballs. Most are little bigger than a big fist. Some have tentacles which are several feet.

Originally Posted by Franny

Are the fishys' trapped in the jelly? All I can say is National Geographic!

The fish are immune to the sting. The jellies offer protexction from predators that are not immune. Like us.

Originally Posted by grammyc

Kurt-you are a very BRAVE man! AND excellent with that camera. What kind is it? I have an olympus 770sw digital/water and hope to do some shooting from my kayak while there in aug. Also how do you keep it so still as in your other kayak videos?

Keep shooting, you're a natural!

Olympus 1030 - I usually have it resting on something.

>>>>>>>>>>>>

Someone told me tonight that there is a market for cannonball jellies in Japan and that some of our local fisherman have taken to the trade.