*Lion’s Mane Jelly (Cyanea capillata)
The lion’s mane jelly is the largest sea jelly among the over 200 species that make up the class of the true jellies, Scyphozoa. The common name, lion’s mane, describes the perceived resemblance of the tentacles and their typical color to that of a lion’s mane. Captain Bluebird and guest saw a large Lion’s Mane Jelly at Coquille River Estuary, in the river that boarders the Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. The tide water brings these creatures from the Pacific Ocean into the estuaries along the coast.
*Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus)- a shorebird that’s at home in the open ocean. Females are brighter than the males. The birds photographed at the Coquille River are juveniles of the species. This species migrates from Arctic breeding grounds to waters as far south as South America.”