Large numbers of jellyfish invade Southern California harbor
Visitors to Southern California's Channel Islands Harbor have been treated to the sight of large numbers of jellyfish. The moon jellies are common along the California coast but aren't usually found in the small-craft harbor in Oxnard.
UC Santa Barbara research biologist Milton Love told the Ventura County Star that moon jellies are carried by currents, and when they appear, there are usually hundreds of thousands of the creatures. Love said it's unlikely to be determined why they've ended up in the harbor.
Harbor residents began seeing the jellyfish last month and they've been attracting crowds, CBS Los Angeles reported.
Humans can't feel these jellyfish sting, Love told the newspaper. "Our skin is too thick to feel the stinging cells being emitted," he said.
Small fish and plankton, on the other hand, can feel their sting, Love told the paper. "I would wager if you licked one," he said, "you might feel it then."