Jellyfish are some of the most fascinating creatures in the sea because they function without a brain, heart, and lungs. Made of 95% water, these gelatinous marine animals have been in existence for more than 500 million years, which means they not only lived when dinosaurs roamed the earth but also survived all five mass extinctions!
According to One Earth, there could be as many as 300,000 species of jellyfish, but only more than 2,000 have been discovered and identified. There are many types of jellyfish in the Pacific Ocean, and in this blog post, we’d like to introduce you to some of the most common California jellyfish. While the following list isn’t exhaustive, it underscores the fact there are many species of Pacific jellyfish and, just like other marine creatures, they play a role in promoting the health and stability of the entire marine ecosystem.
One type of California jellyfish is called the Pacific sea nettle. According to National Aquarium, “Pacific sea nettles are found primarily off the west coast of the United States, and occasionally as far south as Mexico and as far north as British Columbia. This species has also been spotted near Japan.”
Our friends at Aquarium of the Pacific have successfully cultured this species, exhibiting them within their aquarium as well as sharing them with other aquariums to display. Their website notes that “it takes about three months to rear the jellies from polyps to ephyrae, the adult stage.” Aquarium of the Pacific also hosts a mesmerizing 24/7 live cam feed that overlooks the West Coast Sea Nettles exhibit at their aquarium, and we encourage you to check it out!
These translucent California jellyfish favor temperate waters and pelagic environments. Aquarium of the Pacific has a moon jelly exhibit, and three times a day, the aquarium’s resident jellyfish eat brine shrimp, which turns their ring canals orange!
Should you pay a visit to Aquarium of the Pacific before or after a whale-watching tour with Harbor Breeze Cruises, be sure to visit their Southern California Gallery and Harbor Terrace, where you’ll have the unique opportunity to touch these gentle Pacific jellyfish. Just don’t forget to use only two fingers, as jellyfish are fragile and it’s important to be mindful of this when you reach into their tank.
The bumpy jelly gets its name due to the wart-like bumps on its blue-white body. Not all types of jellyfish in California were first discovered in California, which makes the bumpy jelly all the more special! Aquarium of the Pacific’s website notes that the bumpy jelly was “discovered in 1990 by scientists exploring the deep ocean in Monterey Bay, California. Subsequently, photographs taken by a video camera on a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and jellies collected by the ROV’s arm that were studied in a laboratory setting confirmed that this was a new jelly genus and species.”
Meet the lion’s mane jellyfish—a Pacific jellyfish with hair-like tentacles that resemble a lion’s mane. The lion’s mane jellyfish can be found “along the coasts of eastern Canada and the Pacific northwest; seasonally occasionally as far south as southern California and southern Florida,” according to Aquarium of the Pacific. The lion’s mane is one of the largest Pacific jellyfish that has ever been discovered.
Another Pacific jellyfish that we’d like to bring to your attention is the purple-striped jellyfish. Aquarium of the Pacific states that this jellyfish resides “off the coast of California including Monterey and Bodega Bays, off Santa Barbara, and in the San Pedro Basin.” This is another type of California jellyfish that Aquarium of the Pacific has successfully propagated. Since these types of California jellyfish are “easily damaged,” however, they don’t usually live more than a year.
You may have noticed that this blog post relies heavily on information published by Aquarium of the Pacific, a beloved public aquarium and non-profit organization located at 100 Aquarium Way in Long Beach, California. Aquarium of the Pacific has done an impressive job displaying and educating the public on all the different types of California jellyfish.
Should you join us on a whale-watching cruise, you’ll be delighted to find educators from the Aquarium of the Pacific aboard our environmentally friendly catamarans. We’ve partnered with them so you and your fellow ticketholders can ask questions while you’re cruising with us upon the expansive Pacific Ocean.
Whether you’re curious about California jellyfish, sea lions, dolphins, or any other sea creature that calls the Pacific Ocean home, our captains and crew—plus our Aquarium of the Pacific educators—would be honored to treat you to an affordable, memorable, and educational whale-watching cruise next time you’re in Long Beach. Purchase your tickets today by calling 562-983-6880 or making your reservation online.
