GIANT jellyfish are continuing to wash up on Dorset's shores.

Barrel jellyfish, which can grow up to one metre wide, have been spotted in waters off Weymouth, Portland, Lyme Regis and east Dorset in recent weeks.

This photo was taken by Andrew Holdsworth onPortland over the weekend.

He said this jellyfish was 'one of several' left on the beach when the tide went out.

The Dorset Wildlife Trust claims that during the spring and summer, we could expect to see up to eight different species of jellyfish along the coast.

Last year, more and more sightings of the sea creatures were reported after members of the public.

These particular jellyfish do not sting, but the trust is advising members of the public not to touch any jellyfish they find washed up and to report them to the trust to identify and record.

Emma Rance, DWT marine conservation officer, said: “These oceanic drifters can change in shape, colour and size when they are beached.

“We would encourage people to look but not touch and keep their animals away from the jellyfish, because many jellyfish can still sting when dead.

“It’s very likely that we’re going to get more reports of jellyfish due to warmer weather. Barrel jellyfish feed on zooplankton – tiny animals floating in the water – which have increased due to longer days with more sunlight.”

People who see a jellyfish are encouraged to take a photo and report it to the DWT via their Facebook page at facebook.com/dorsetwildlife.

Alternatively, any sighting photos can be tweeted to @DorsetWildlife.