Drifters

Mike Bartick · Issue 115, Jul/Aug 2020 · pp. 54–58

Our oceans are packed full of so many curious subjects and behaviors that something new can be experienced on almost each and every dive. One of my main drivers for exploring is looking for the unanswered questions that i’m continuously left with. It seems each time one question is answered, two more pop up behind it. On a reef or a sandy habitat many questions can be answered purely out of the reliability of seeing the same subject matter then observing them. However in the open ocean this type of experience is vastly different as many of the encounters are purely through chance and often brief. Sadly, many divers only think of jellyfish in the context of being stung or as an inconvenience but the truth is that jellyfish have a huge story to tell too. Yes, jellies can and will sting the heck out of humans but hey, no one is asking you to go out and hug a jelly. Jellyfish are a soft bodi…