Monster creatures that 'could wipe out a town' spotted on beach in Wales

Beachgoers along the coast of Barmouth have vowed never to swim in the sea again after a huge jellyfish and spider crabs were spotted on the Welsh bay. The creatures are so large some people compared the sightings to an alien invasion.

The images of these marine visitors, shared on social media by holidaymaker Amy Carter and her partner Scott Southey, stirred both fear and fascination among onlookers.

Comments such as "On my goodness! Imagine swimming next to one that size. I'd freak! They are massive," and, "Last time I go in the sea," flooded the 'I Love Barmouth' Facebook page where the pictures were posted. One person even joked "Omg that is the stuff of my nightmares. That crab could wipe out a town."

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But not all reactions were rooted in fear, with another remarking: "Seen loads on the beaches. It's amazing what nature will show us", reports North Wales Live.

In conversation with the Daily Star, Amy said: "We are having a short holiday this week and was just having a stroll down Tal-y-bont beach...we always see small crabs and jellyfish around the rocks and on the beach but was shocked to see any this size. I've been coming to Barmouth and Tal-y-bont for nearly 50 years and it's the biggest I've ever seen so I had to put my hand next to it for scale. I find it amazing to actually see the true giants of the deep."

Ian Wilkins, who discovered a similar sized jellyfish on nearby Dyffryn beach, also shared his awe-struck reaction on the same Facebook group. He told the Star: "I was shocked to see this jellyfish and the huge size that it was. Fascinating creatures."

One local resident remarked: "There were lots on the estuary yesterday! Had to get the binoculars out because I thought there was something big washed in..... they were giant barrel jellyfish. Quite harmless to people... they are HUGE this year." Much like other towns dotted along the coast, Barmouth has seen a variety of uncommon sea creatures and abundant jellyfish.

Frankie Hobro, director of Anglesey Sea Zoo, pointed out that these were species all too familiar with British shores. She explained, "These are both common British species. The crab is a spiny spider crab which can grow to a foot in diameter (closely related to the King Crab) and they are common all around our coasts. We have numerous spider crabs in our aquarium exhibits, they live for many years."

"It looks as if this individual is dead, and that mussels and other marine life have taken advantage of the carcass as an anchor point - but it is equally likely that these animals were living happily on the shell of the crab while it was alive, as this is common." Join our WhatsApp news community here for the latest breaking news

Providing clarity about crustacean behaviour, she said:, "Like all crustaceans, spider crabs have to moult their outer shell to grow so it is common to find intact crab moults along our shoreline and these can be mistaken for dead crabs. In fact, often in the early summer, when mass spawning and moulting occurs with thousands of spider crabs close to shore, we get beaches full of crab shells, which can appear at first glance to be a mass die-off but are in fact a positive sign of the crabs growing and breeding."

Frankie spoke about the sighting of the barrel jellyfish saying: "The jellyfish shown is a barrel jellyfish, another common British species which is often found around our shores around spring and early summer - it does not tolerate warmer temperatures so is less common in summer and early Autumn when the seas are at their warmest."

She continued: "This is one of our most common jellyfish species and although they look formidable - and can grow to the size of a beer barrel, hence the name - their sting is in fact harmless to humans."

Frankie highlighted these jellyfishes' importance in the ecosystem, remarking: "They are the favourite food of leatherback turtles, our only native turtle species which is rarely sighted as it is usually found offshore, but they are present for over half the year, specifically to take advantage of the large numbers of large jellyfish like these which are found in the sea around the UK."