The British Invasion: killer jellyfish are back
Here is is, the first invasion story of the summer – and it’s only April! The Daily Star tells readers of a “DEADLY” jellyfish “set to invade the country”.
This jellyfish – the Portuguese man o’ war – has tentacles “as long as five London buses” (but not quite as long as the queue for one – ed). It’s been “spotted off the coast of Cornwall”. But it hasn’t been. Because in the very next line we hear from a local man who says he saw ten barrel-jelly fish in Port Gaverne Bay. These jellies are “harmless but the sighting have led to fears the more lethal man ‘o war will be following them.”
They don’t so much follow as get blown in.
In 2016, the Daily Star – “Warning issued as KILLER sea creatures wash up on UK beaches” – quoted Dr Peter Richardson, Head of the MCS Biodiversity Programme. He said: “We don’t receive reports of Portuguese Man-of-War every year, but when we do they can turn up in big numbers, usually around about this time of year…With the earlier strandings in Ireland, these recent sightings could herald the arrival of more of the creatures as they get blown in from the Atlantic.”
See also in the Daily Star, wherein killer jellyfish do arrive every year:
July 2016: “Beach TERROR: Killer jellyfish the size of DOGS attacking Britain”
July 2016: “Britain’s heatwave means KILLER jellyfish with 150ft long tentacles heading to UK shores”
August 2016: “Giant killer ‘floating terrors’ to invade UK in Bank Holiday beach terror”
September 2016: “Warning issued as KILLER sea creatures wash up on UK beaches”
October 2016: “Terrified tourists spot DEADLY ‘floating terrors’ on British beach”
December 2016: “Britain under attack: The DEADLIEST animals known to man are on our doorstep… All jellyfish sting to some extent but the sting of the Portuguese Man O’War is lethal….Although not actually a jellyfish the Man O’ War looks and stings like one. There have been increased sightings in the UK in recent years with the tentacled monster emigrating to our waters each summer.”
File under: fishy news.
Posted: 26th, April 2017 | In: Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
