The Day the Jellyfish Came

Available for 34 days

The oceans cover more than 70 percent of our planet. And yet, most of us live unaware of what lies beneath those waters – and what impact our actions might be having there. In the summer of 2025, Gravelines Nuclear Power Station shut down after a “massive and unpredictable” bloom of jellyfish clogged its filters. Weeks later, the same thing happened at a second plant along the French coast. How could such simple creatures disrupt infrastructure – and what might they reveal about what is going on in the oceans? Part poem, part plea, part love letter to the sea, BAFTA Games Award-nominated actor, best known for Baldur's Gate 3 and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Samantha Béart explores the complex relationship between humans and jellyfish – and asks a question that sounds like video game science fiction: in the face of a global environmental crisis could jellyfish inherit the oceans? Through conversations with science writer Juli Berwald, marine biologist Dr Cathy Lucas and endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh The Day the Jellyfish Came uncovers how jellyfish live, reproduce and form vast blooms – seasonal explosions that can disrupt industries and reshape ecosystems. Reflecting both the concerns of the scientific community and the frustration many feel at the ongoing climate crisis and human interference in natural environments, Samantha asks what these charismatic, gelatinous creatures might be telling us about the future of our planet.