FLOATING like an exotic fruit in the icy waters of northern Russia鈥檚 White Sea in, this lion鈥檚 mane jellyfish (Cyanea capillata) was photographed by , head of the dive team at the , in what was only his second photo opportunity with the species in 10 years of diving. It was an unforgettable experience, he says, and 鈥渢his time I was with a camera鈥�.
The lion鈥檚 mane is the world鈥檚 largest jellyfish and the White Sea鈥檚 largest invertebrate. The bell of White Sea jellies can grow to 70 centimetres across and its translucent tentacles can be 15 metres long. 鈥淓ven if you try to dodge, it still touches you,鈥� says Semenov.
The tentacles can give a painful sting, but are not known to be lethal. Despite wearing a full-length wetsuit and mask, Semenov was stung across the face. 鈥淚t paralysed my lips,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hey were as big as Angelina Jolie鈥檚 but not so beautiful. I couldn鈥檛 talk for an hour, and it hurt for days. Now I try to be more careful.鈥�
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Adult lion鈥檚 mane jellyfish eat everything from fish fry and krill to other jellyfish, such as the moon jellyfish (Aurelia aurita). 鈥淭hey are fantastically voracious predators, but this is what allows them to grow so large,鈥� he says. He speaks of 鈥渇loating stomachs鈥� filled with five or six moon jellies at a time 鈥� some still alive and struggling.
The White Sea Biological Station is a remote outpost of Lomonosov Moscow State University. During the polar summer, its community of international researchers and visiting students enjoy a northern paradise, with midnight beach parties under a sun that never sets. In winter, those who remain cannot leave the station without skis because the snow reaches chest height. 鈥淎nd there鈥檚 the silence,鈥� says Semenov. The only sound is the ice popping as the tide rises and falls.