Paddleboarders have spoken of their surprise and awe at spotting a giant jellyfish "happily bobbing along" off a North East beach - and advised swimmers to take care.

The creature believed to be a lion's mane jellyfish was captured on a mobile phone at Roker Beach, Sunderland at about 8pm on Monday. 

Also known as the giant jellyfish, arctic red jellyfish, or the hair jelly, is one of the largest known species of jellyfish and can deliver a painful sting.

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The paddleboarder, who did not wish to be named, told the Northern Echo said: "We were paddling our way back into shore, so it was happily bobbing along. 

"I was surprised and cautious but equally entranced by the way it moves and how beautiful it was.

"It was a couple of hundred yards from the shoreline on the left side of Roker Pier as the beach is in front of you.

"We were near the black rocks are in front of the yacht club. 

"It’s obviously quite big compared to the smaller jellyfish we quite often see in the bay at this time of the year. 

"I think it’s a lion's mane jellyfish, which seems to be the consensus in a post I put u."

However, issuing a warning to those who might not be aware, she said: "As far as I understand it, they’re not a danger – other than the fact that it would hurt – quite a lot - if you got stung.

"Even the smallish jellyfish give you a bit of a sting, but this one was obviously a substantial size."

She added: "There are a lot of swimmers in the bay, especially this time of year with just swimming costumes on.

"We warned a couple of women that were swimming towards us at the time to go back.

In a social media post one person remarked "the heat is bringing everything ashore everyone needs to be very careful".

Another said: "I absolutely hate jellyfish!!! I was stung when I was 5 and still traumatised at 67 I stood on one on the sand at Shields beach and still remember it. My foot swelled up so much Mam took me to Ingham A&E!!!"

The tentacles of a lion's mane jellyfish can sting, and that sting is painful to humans.

While the sting of a lion's mane jellyfish isn't poisonous, it can cause severe allergic reactions in some people

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