Rare Jellyfish Captured on GoPro

What’s the size of a soccer ball, swims “quite fast” and is more elusive than Big Foot? The Chirodectes macalatus Box jellyfish of course! Captured on GoPro by veteran diver Dorian Borcherds in the New Ireland province of Papua New Guinea, this rare jellyfish has only been spotted one other time on record.

Borcherds knew he had seen something special under the sea, but had no idea the species. He first turned to The Jellyfish app for help with identification (yes, there’s really an app for that!) but no results turned up. So Borcherds took his video to Facebook, where it caught momentum within the dive and marine biology communities. A handful of commenters suggested that it might be the Chirodectes macalatus, which was first spotted and documented by Australian scientists on the Great Barrier Reef in 1997. Others, like The Jellyfish App co-founder and jellyfish expert, Dr. Lisa-Ann Gershwin, think it may be an entirely new magical sea creature.

Regardless of its species, there is no doubt that this was a once-in-a-lifetime diving encounter, made even more incredible by the footage captured on GoPro! Don’t miss a moment of your underwater adventures! Read dive and snorkel capture tips here and additional info about shooting with GoPro under the surface here.

In addition to securing his place in marine biology history, Borcherds also earned $500 for his video by submitting to GoPro Awards!