John-PaulDance of the Sea Nettles

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There’s something haunting about the Atlantic Sea Nettle. Yes, it can sting, and many people write it off as a painful pest, but this jellyfish also fits into a much larger story. Populations of sea nettles often spike in warmer, polluted waters—exactly what we’re seeing more of these days, thanks to climate change. In that sense, they’re not just aimless drifters; they’re warnings we shouldn’t ignore. They’re living proof that the ocean’s health isn’t some distant concept—it’s right here, in the strange, beautiful creatures we barely notice.

Standing beside a sea nettle feels like standing beside the ocean. This ghostly creature hints at how much we still don’t understand about marine life and reminds us how urgently we need to care for it

We celebrated the Atlantic Sea Nettle with two large illuminated “puppets” at UK festivals over the summer of 2024. Accompanied by recordings of the songs of bearded seals and bowhead whales, our immersive roaming celebration generated much awe and joy for these extraordinary creatures (with whom we have the privilege of sharing this planet) as well as for the underwater world in general.