Jellyfish!!!

I am from Iowa. I was one month away from college graduation the first time I saw an ocean. David is from Montana. He, on the other hand was three the first time he laid eyes on the foaming brine. Not that he remembers it.

Now we live on an island. Rivers criss-cross Tokushima and are connected to the ocean at at much nearer distance than any where we grew up. Near enough to have dozens of jellyfish wash in with the tide.

We sounded like school kids on a field trip: heads hung over the railing, squealing sounds of delight (okay, that was me, not David), and taking photos with abandon. Thank goodness for digital cameras!

This type of jellyfish is called a moon jelly.

We met some people from Tokushima after that and tried to share our excitement, but they were not as impressed. Apparently, when you grow up near the ocean, even the 8-year-olds are nonchalant about jellyfish in the river.


As if a horde of jellyfish wasn’t enough, we also happened across what appears to be a stingray. They are common in the ocean all around Japan, and often found in shallow water near the coast. It was awesome!

I’ve not had a chance to learn how to take photos into the water. I had no idea what  was doing. Please forgive the quality - but they’re jellyfish!! I could not contain my excitement earlier, and I am still (several hours later) giggling over seeing jellyfish and stingrays. Today is the first time I’ve ever seen them outside of an aquarium. And it was without a doubt the coolest sight I’ve seen since coming to Japan.

What an amazing day!