A monster jellyfish the size of a paddling pool washed up on the sand leaving beachgoers stunned.
The purple-hued lion’s mane was an estimated six feet across – and made a nearby dog look tiny in comparison.
Its tentacles can stretch more than 100ft, and the sting can cause nausea, sweating and cramps, though it’s rarely fatal.
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The beast was spotted at Nairn, near Inverness, in the Scottish Highlands, where dozens of smaller jellyfish have also been found.
“For anyone planning a visit to the beach, this is the size of jellyfish being washed up and in the water,” finder David Alexander Bowie told What’s The Jam.
“Along with hundreds more slightly smaller ones – so take care if you are planning a swim,”
“I think they are lion’s mane.
“I’ve never seen one this size before.
“I’ve never seen them dead on the beach either.
“I have also found others but not quite as big.
“There a lot of smaller ones on the beach west of Nairn.”
Locals were astonished by the find.
One said: “Lion’s mane jellyfish. Can give you a bad sting.”
Another added: “That’s a lion’s mane – the bigger they are the worse the sting.”
And a third simply said: “Even for a lion’s mane that is massive.”
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