Rare moon jellyfish sighted off Istanbul’s coasts

ISTANBUL

A moon jellyfish, whose natural habitat is the tropics, has been observed in the Sea of Marmara near Büyükada, the largest of Istanbul’s nine Princes’ Islands.

Istanbul-based underwater cinematographer Tahsin Ceylan filmed the moon jellyfish in the sea.

Deputy Environment and Urbanization Minister Mehmet Emin Birpınar shared Ceylan’s image of the moon jellyfish on his social media account. 

“It burns when it touches the human body,” Birpınar said in the post.

Touching the jellyfish is unlikely to endanger anyone’s life, Ceylan said, although he still advised people to avoid contact.

High temperatures, calm and warm seas, as well as a glut of the moon jellyfish’s favorite food – plankton – have resulted in record blooms around Turkey.

Experts advise any swimmers who have been stung by a moon jellyfish to scrape off any remaining tentacles with a credit card or similar plastic card and to avoid rubbing the area.

Swimmers who have been stung should also rinse the affected area with warm seawater only, as fresh water could cause more irritation. At the same time, experts warn people to be alert to the possibility of anaphylactic shock.