December 2006 – box jellyfish

December 2006 – box jellyfish

Associate Professor Dr. Jamie Seymour or the “Jelly Dude from Nemo land” showing Irukanji jellyfish swimming around the Kreisel tank in the James Cook University aquarium facility.

Associate Professor Dr. Jamie Seymour or the “Jelly Dude from Nemo land” showing Irukanji jellyfish swimming around the Kreisel tank in the James Cook University aquarium facility.

Irukandji box jellyfish feeding on; catching fish (Carukia barnesi). The deadly Irukandji jellyfish is found in north Australian waters during the jellyfish season from October to May.

Irukandji box jellyfish feeding on; catching fish (Carukia barnesi). The deadly Irukandji jellyfish is found in north Australian waters during the jellyfish season from October to May.

Close up detail of Irujandji box jellyfish (Carukia barnesi)

Close up detail of Irujandji box jellyfish (Carukia barnesi)

December. Thanks to Dr. Jamie Seymour and Richard Fitzpatrick, our box jellyfish frenzy is almost coming to an end.  Irukadji and box jellyfish have been keeping us company in tanks and in the water.

Stella swimming with a box jellyfish (Chiropsalmus sp.)

Stella swimming with a box jellyfish (Chiropsalmus sp.)

Our box jellyfish model Oscar performed beautifully in the wild and did not even attempt to sting us one bit. He was well trained and truly beautiful. We have total respect for these deadly animals.

About the Author:

Jürgen Freund’s aim as a wildlife photographer is to shoot pictures that tell stories which matter. A mechanical engineer by training, he started his career as an industrial photographer in Germany, acquired an underwater camera, went scuba-diving in the alpine lakes and then discovered the marine environment. Since 1982, he has done underwater and nature photography, making much of his own equipment to suit his needs. Jürgen’s work, on land and under water, has been widely published all over the world. He has had solo exhibitions and has been a prize-winner in international competitions, including Wildlife Photographer of the Year. In partnership with his wife Stella, a producer, he works closely with WWF, which uses his photographs in many of its conservation campaigns. For 18 straight months, he and Stella travelled the Asia / Pacific region of the Coral Triangle, photographing the richness of this hotspot of marine biodiversity on behalf of WWF.