To the delight of divers, and to the chagrin of fishermen, the swarms of
giant Echizen kurage jellyfish that invade the coast of the Sea of Japan
each autumn are back.
These photos were taken 5 meters underwater just offshore from the coastal
town of Echizen in Fukui prefecture, where the jellyfish mobs began to
arrive about a month later than normal.
Manabu Nakamata, a 38-year-old diver from Nagoya and an admirer of the
monster jellyfish, says, 'They are surprisingly hard to the touch. They are
big, and extremely impressive.' Big indeed — Echizen kurage can grow up to
2 meters (6 ft. 7 in.) in diameter and weigh up to 200 kilograms (440 lb.)
each.
The local fishermen, however, are not impressed.. Each year, the giant
jellyfish wreak havoc on the fishing industry by destroying nets and
crushing, poisoning and sliming other fish in the catches. In the latest
move in the war on jellyfish, Fukui prefecture is developing new and
efficient weapons designed to pulverize those that threaten their shores.
