On a scorching hot day, my friend and I went surfing at my local beach. We partnered up to carry the boards down to the water – mine coral-coloured, his blue – and we clambered across the dunes, with the sand burning the soles of our feet. As we jumped into the cool water, we realised we were not alone. At first, we saw one or two, but by the point we were knee-deep, we realised we were surrounded. Jellyfish of all shapes and sizes were floating around us, purple-y ones, brown ones.

We later learned that the beautiful moon jellyfish is recognisable by its dome shape and the fact it’s completely translucent apart from purple circles across the centre. These are harmless and are commonly washed up on UK beaches.

Jess at her local beach. ‘We rescued two jellyfish and returned them back to the ocean.’ Photograph: Family handout

We think the others were compass jellyfish, which come out from May to October. These are also translucent but have yellowy-white and brown markings on top of the bell and can give a nasty sting. I read that their sting is quite mild, a bit worse than a stinging nettle. At first, I wasn’t too bothered about them, enjoying watching them bobbing around me, until my friend told me that they can be dangerous if you’re not careful. So, after that, I tried as hard as I could to avoid brushing against them.

As we enjoyed the surf, the relentless waves brought many more jellyfish to join the party around our boards. It was amazing to watch and hard to fear these beautiful creatures. Eventually, we headed in, but not before we had rescued two beached jellyfish and returned them to their home, the ocean.
Jess, 10