Welcome to the live view of the jellyfish tank cam at The Aquarium of the Pacific. The slow propulsions of these west coast sea nettles are mesmerizing, aren’t they? These jellyfish, or sea nettles, live at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California. Easy to maintain and beautiful and relaxing to behold, sea nettles are a popular exhibit in many aquariums.

What is a Sea Nettle?

Sea nettles are a genus of jellyfish called Chrysaora. They are popular in aquariums because in addition to being easy to maintain, their beautiful colors and slow propulsions are a gorgeous and relaxing sight. The West Coast sea nettle’s species name, fuscescens, means dusky or dark referring to the dusky color of the nettle’s bell.

When sea nettles ‘swim’ the shape of their bell changes markedly from the shape of an umbrella to flat as the bell contracts and expands due to action by its muscles. The coronal muscles act first, drawing the umbrella inward and downward. Then the radial muscles cause it to bend further. There is an initial backward thrust of the umbrella on the water, followed by an outward jet of water with each contraction. The jelly then accelerates again during the next beat. In the resting state at the end of the “swimming” stroke, the jelly’s bell is flattened and the lobes give it the appearance of an eight-pointed star.

Best Times to Watch

The jellyfish/sea nettle live cam in is on 24 hours a day. Anytime is a great time to watch!

Learn More About The Aquarium of the Pacific

The Aquarium of the Pacific is located in Long Beach, California. It aims to instill a sense of wonder, respect, and stewardship for the Pacific Ocean, its inhabitants, and ecosystems. Hailed as the fourth most attended aquarium in the nation, the Aquarium of the Pacific displays over 11,000 animals in more than 50 exhibits, representing the unique diversity of the Pacific Ocean.

The aquarium also offers educational programming for people of all ages, and as a result giving its visitors the opportunity to dive deeper into the fascinating science of the world’s ocean. To learn even more, you can check out the website of the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Learn More About Explore

EXPLORE is a multimedia organization that documents leaders around the world who have devoted their lives to extraordinary causes. Both educational and inspirational, explore creates a portal into the soul of humanity by championing the selfless acts of others. Learn more at www.explore.org