I got mooned ...

Here in Nova Scotia, while air is warming up, the Atlantic Ocean remains very cold.  You don't even feel tempted to sit on a dock, and dangle your delicate toesies in the water just yet.

For that reason, I was pretty surprised at what I saw in the water beside the boardwalk in Halifax harbour.

There, in the sparkling water, something round, floating gently beneath the surface.  In fact there were several somethings.  

Moon Jellyfish, according to my marine life guide, are common in our area, from midsummer through fall.  I am not sure how unusual it is for them to be sighted here in mid-spring.

Feeding on plankton, small fish and crustaceans, they in turn are a common food species for leatherback sea turtles and various fish species.   

Unlike some of their cousins, their short tentacles only issue a mild sting.

Gently they undulate along.  

The photo below, includes a smaller jellyfish called a Sea Gooseberry, that comes from the Comb Jelly family.   Interestingly, my marinelife book says that they are common near the surface in late summer and autumn.  Summer ? Huh ?

If you click on the photo you can see better the Sea Gooseberry's two long tentacles.

My good chum Amy-Lynn of Flandrum Hill fame, blogged about her encounter with jellyfish back in 2010.  That post can be found here.

I need to spend more time just sitting my the water, and looking.

Just looking.