OPEN water swimmer Jane Lloyd had some company when she took to the sea for a Bank Holiday swim.

Within minutes of entering the water at Durdle Door she literally bumped into a giant Barrel Jellyfish.

The creature was too close to the shore and at risk of being beached so Jane tried to ease it into deeper waters.

The magical moment was captured on camera by fellow swimmer Jodi Songhurst, who has now reported the sighting to the Marine Conservation Society (MCS).

Jodi, 45, of Broadstone, said they were at Durdle Door with other members of the Beyond the Blue open water swim group when they were told there were a lot of jellyfish in the water.

"We were warned in advance but it was still a surprise to see such big jellyfish up close" said Jodi. "We normally swim from Shore Road in Poole and haven't seen any jellyfish in that area."

Jodi said she always carries a camera and that Jane was happy to pose for pictures with their new friend.

There have been hundreds of sightings of the huge Barrel Jellyfish off the coast of the south west of England in recent weeks.

See lots of pictures of barrel jellyfish across Dorset in our gallery 

The enormous creatures look terrifying but their sting is said to be mild and not a risk to humans.

They feed off Plankton and the MCS is urging members of the public to report any sightings because jellyfish are the staple diet of leatherback turtles which could now be attracted to the area.

Report any sightings to mcsuk.org/sightings