An underwater photographer has captured the moment a giant jellyfish swam near an Ibiza beach.
This aquatic creature, belonging to the species Rhizostoma luteum, was photographed by Joan Pereyra in Cala Olivera, situated within the municipality of Santa Eulària on Ibiza.
This species is uncommon to encounter and typically measures 70 centimeters in diameter and one metre in length.
It has been estimated that this jellyfish weighs a whopping 40 kilograms, with the average jellyfish weighing between 20-400g.
Mr Pereyra takes part in daily underwater dives in hope of finding marine species to photograph and document.
For the past three years, Mr Pereyra has spent most of his time underwater in the hopes of encountering rare species.
Speaking to Diario de Ibiza, he said: “I’m very geeky. Sometimes I go into the water at three in the morning because I know that’s the best time to find what I’m looking for.”
Pereyra has dived all over the world, from South Africa to the Philippines, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
“Diving requires all your senses to be alert. You have to look everywhere, monitor your buoyancy, know your air consumption and take into account the amount of nitrogen you are accumulating in your blood. It’s not just going down and that’s it, although over time it starts to become automatic,” he said.
“Even if you dive in a very urbanised place, such as Cala Vedella or Cala Tarida, the moment you get into the water you are in another world, you are at peace,” he added.
So far, he said he hasn’t had any “scares” but he also recognises the dangers and ensures he has an “easy” way out.
“If I find the bug at ten metres, I’m not going to go down 15; it doesn’t make sense”, he said.
Additional reporting by Maria Ortega
