Japanese Fishing Boat Capsized By Giant Jellyfish

November 4, 2009 2:02 p.m. EST

Choshi, Japan (AHN) - A small trawler capsized in the waters off the eastern coast of Japan Friday under the weight of a haul of giant jellyfish trapped in its net.

The small fishing boat, the Daisan Shinsho-maru, was overturned off the Inubozaki Lighthouse in Choshi, Japan Friday morning. The vessel lost its balance while trying to pull in a net tangled with dozens Nomura's jellyfish, Japan's Mainichi Daily reported.

Nomura's jellyfish can weigh up to 440 pounds and measure as many as 6 feet across.

The three fishermen on board - captain Takashi Otsuka and crew Yoshimatsu Nakauchi and Noboru Suzuki - were tossed into the sea, but a nearby vessel rescued them, the Choshi Coast Guard Office told Mainichi Daily.