It’s a bird, it’s a plane…it’s a jellyfish!
Free State, South Africa (21 May 2026) – South African astrophotography, weather, landscape and wildlife photographer Angus Burns was on the road to Memel in the Free State when he spotted something out of the ordinary…
A bloom of jellyfish had taken to the blue skies!
The data on ‘jellyfish clouds’ is few and far in between. Possibly because they’re not an official cloud type, but rather a unique formation of altocumulus floccus clouds.
Sean Zeederberg, a local environmental scientist had spotted similar formations in Londolozi two years ago. In his blog, he writes that altocumulus clouds, which form high up in the sky, generally look like fluffy, lumpy patches. But sometimes, parts of the cloud droop downward in streaks, making them look like a jellyfish’s tentacles hanging below its body.
This happens when the air at that height is unstable. This essentially means warm and cool air mix together unevenly, causing air pockets to rise and fall in a churning motion. Add to that equation enough moisture in the air, and those droopy, tentacle-like streaks start to form beneath the cloud.
This formation makes what we see as ‘jellyfish clouds!’ They’re also relatively uncommon, which is why people get excited when they spot them.
“The jellyfish clouds were very prominent on the day I saw them and it seems that people all over SA saw them too and took photos…” Burns, who captured these photographs, tells us.
Check out his post, where others have shared their snaps, here.
Burns is a conservationist with decades of experience in the environmental sector. He works for the WWF in South Africa. He is also a skilled photographer who enjoys capturing all forms of natural beauty.
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Thanks to Angus, we’ve all had our daily dose of weird, wacky and wonderful nature!
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