Hundreds of jellyfish spotted at Shawnee Park pond

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Shawnee Park visitors who head to the pond may be in for quite an unusual sight.

Officials said there are hundreds of tiny jellyfish currently living in the pond at the park, called “peach blossom jellyfish.”

The jellyfish are described as the size of a contact lens and can be seen pulsing up and down inside of the pondwater.

Liz Winlock, project manager with Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy, said the jellyfish could have come into the area by dropping in from plant materials or from other animals in the area.

She said while the peach blossom jellyfish have been seen in the Louisville-area since the late 1970s, they’ve not been spotted inside the parks or at Shawnee’s pond until now.

“It’s your chance to see something unique, and helps people interact with the park,” Winlock said.

While the jellyfish are a non-native species to the area, Winlock said their presence are not being seen on other plants and animals within the area.

The jellyfish can sting, but due to their size, their stinging cells would not be able to penetrate a person’s skin.

Winlock said the jellyfish will likely remain inside the pond until it gets colder, or if native animals like birds or turtles took them away or ate them.