Morning swim at Verudela turned into a surprise for visitors, huge jellyfish, over 30 centimeters in diameter, made their way to the shallows. Although not deadly, their touch can cause discomfort.
Saturday morning, August 8, 2026, at one of Pula's most popular beaches brought something swimmers didn't expect. Right by the shore of Hawaii Beach at Verudela, giant jellyfish appeared in the sea, surprising everyone who was there.
Already in the early morning hours, they were spotted in the water. Their appearance frightened the youngest so much that some gave up jumping off the rocks, fearing they'd end up right next to these sea creatures. As time passed, the jellyfish moved closer to the shore, so some swimmers cautiously moved away, while others tried to shoo them off by waving their arms and hitting the water's surface.
These are Mediterranean jellyfish, a species that naturally lives in the northern Adriatic and often appears during the summer and autumn months. They are recognizable by their light brown bell with a dark brown or orange lump in the center, and underneath are white, folded arms with bluish or purplish tones. Specimens like these from Verudela can grow to over 30 centimeters in diameter.
Although experts say this jellyfish is not particularly dangerous, its touch can cause mild burns. The advice is simple, keep your distance and observe from a safe spot.
This summer has brought an unusually high number of encounters with this species. The platform Crafting the Sea, which collects citizen reports, has recorded as many as 175 sightings of Mediterranean jellyfish in the northern Adriatic. This morning's case at Verudela is just one of many confirming their abundance this season.
