Moon Jelly Drift

Each July and August, Black Sea coastal currents concentrate two jellyfish species — the translucent moon jelly (Aurelia aurita) and the barrel jellyfish (Rhizostoma pulmo) reaching 50 centimetres across — into dense aggregations off Kaliakria that are unlike anything else in European coastal waters. Divers drift with the current through pulsing curtains of medusae, which cause no significant sting through a wetsuit. The phenomenon is ecologically driven by the Black Sea's low predator pressure (no sharks, reduced large fish biomass from historical overfishing) and its unique physico-chemical properties. Late afternoon light turns the jellies into lanterns. This drift requires entry timing matched to the current; best experienced July through mid-August.

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