Jellyfish in Okanagan Lake?

[Frisk]

Okay I swear I wasn't smoking anything, but today while I was walking on the gellatly bay wharf I saw this weird thing swimming near the surface of the water that looked exactly like a jellyfish. It even moved like one. It was about the size of a tennis ball, brown in color. It was quite visible with the afternoon sun shining on the water. I watched it for a while until it swarm out too far to see. I don't know if freshwater jellyfish live in OK lake, or if they even exist for that matter. You'd think the water would be way too cold but maybe not? Is there a reasonable explanation for this? I'm not totally familiar with all the species that live in the lake.

[jason500]

We do have fresh water jellyfish, and what you describe is basically exactly what they are. Tennis ball size and brown.

[gman313]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craspedacusta_sowerbii

[Dizzy1]

It was about the size of a tennis ball, brown in color.

They do pump raw sewage into the lake, don't they? Just sayin' ;)

Seriously though ...

This is more of a tropical species but it is freshwater and fits your description ...




Doesn't mention BC, but it is possible ...

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/jelly ... -1.1219570

[JLives]

You should report it. Looks like there have been other sightings in BC. http://www.freshwaterjellyfish.org/canada.html

[phasyluck]

Hmm maybe it was another introduced species, you now... to boost the Kokanee population?

[FreeRights]

Interesting, I didn't have any idea that there were any sort of jellyfish in Okanagan lake.

[Frisk]

Haha crazy, I never would've thought it was possible. I'll report it, seems like there's been plenty of other sightings in BC. Thanks everyone for the info.

They do pump raw sewage into the lake, don't they? Just sayin' ;)

Hahaha do they actually? That's pretty nasty.

[slider670]

No, Raw sewage does not get pumped into Okanagan lake. The wastewater treatment plants in the Okanagan are some of the most advanced in Canada and the effluent they produce is pretty much drinkable.

[bigchef]

Aaaand the thread takes a turn...lol. Every time.

[Ryanj386]

It took a turn when dizzy said something without knowing anything about it. I have been the lab tech for a UBC Engineering 4th/5th year environmental engineering class where we test every stage of that treatment plant. I've even toured it a couple of times going through the stages. It's a really advanced plant and the water coming out of it is cleaner than the lake water is.

p.s.... you might not want to know where ogogrow comes from :)

But besides that, I have logged about 12-15 hours of diving in Okanagan lake and I have yet to see one of those things.. I hate introduced species, but it would be neat to see while diving.

[Frisk]

But besides that, I have logged about 12-15 hours of diving in Okanagan lake

Have you ever seen a sturgeon? I've heard so many stories about people seeing them while diving in the lake.