Table 1 Synopsis of gelatinous sphere observation data from NE Atlantic Ocean, including the Mediterranean Sea, ~ 1985 to 2019.

From Norway and Sweden

1

1995

spring/summer/fall

Storestongi, Outer Fensfjord, Hordaland County

15–20

?

Looked like a big balloon. A long time since the observation, so minimal details

Ørjan Solheim

2

2001

27.05

Møvik strand near Kristiansand, Vest-Agder County

12:00

~ 10

15

1

Yes, black, rectangular structure inside

Observed on sand close to rock wall

Siri Kristoffersen

Private dive

3

2002

03.08

Fosnstraumen at Radøy, Hordaland County

12:00

~ 20

~ 11

1

Yes

Floating just above the sediment

Tom Christer Fløgstad, Geir Johannessen

Studentenes undervannsklubb Bergen

4

2004

14.07

West of Tyskerholmen at Askøy, Hordaland County

16:00

14

1.5–2

No

Floating. No visible structures inside

Arne Fredrik Steimler

5

2004

17.08

Øygarden, between Straumsund and Osund, Hordaland County

10:48

28

1

Yes

Floating 1.5 m above sediment

Anette og Roy Ægir Jolma-Stensland

Stavanger dykkeklubb

6

2005

August

Inlet to Eidsfjorden, Sogn & Fjordane County

20:00

14

17

2

Yes

Floating in weak currents inwards the fjord. One diver, measuring 1.90, was 10 cm shorter than diameter of sphere

Three guests at Gulen Dive Resort

Gulen Dive Resort

7

2006

30.09

Utåker in Matrefjord, Hordaland County

12:00

15

1,.5

Yes

Sphere with a few lumps on the outside. Floating up towards to the surface after a while

Erling Svensen, Rudolf Svensen

8

~ 2006

Korshamn near Lyngdal, Vest-Agder County

Information from Facebook-group

"krissk2"

9

2006?

Summer/autumn

Langesund, Telemark County

Mentioned at www.nrk.no, 26.10.2006

Unknown

10

2006?

Summer/autumn

Hitra, Sør-Trøndelag County

Mentioned in www.nettavisen.no in 2006 and at www.nrk.no, 26.10.2006

Unknown

11

2008

09.08

South of Teistholmen, Stavanger, Rogaland County

~ 15

No

A possible sphere

Camilla Klippenberg, Håkon Sevheim

12

Between 2008 and 2010

Unknown

Sørskår in Årdalsfjord, Rogaland County

22

~ 2

Yes

Sphere standing on sandy bottom in bay at Sørskår. Oval ball roughly 1.80 m high and 1 m wide

Rudolf Svensen, Leif Bruntveit

13

2010

28.07

Hommersåk, Stavanger, Rogaland County

ca. 20

30 cm wide, 50 cm tall

No, but two spots

Resembles an "egg". Could be a possible sphere

Sine Trodal

14

2010

11.08

Tustna, Kristiansund, Møre & Romsdal County

13:17

15

13–14

0.8

Yes

"Flexible sphere", observed while freediving. Air temperature 19 C

Tapio Salakari, Pyry Routakorpi

Archipelago Divers Association

15

2015

spring

Mæbøfjorden, Flekkerøy, Kristiansand, Vest-Agder County

3

10

0.3

No

A small sphere observed from pier, laying on bottom. Appearing soft and neutral in the water

Fridtjof Karlsen

16

2016

~ 17.07

Tustna in Aura, Møre & Romsdal County

14:30

37

14

0.8–0.9

Yes

Floating sphere

Carl Ziegler, Kim Davidsson

Dive Tustna, Dykeriet

17

2016

17.08

Lille Torungen in Arendal, Aust-Agder County

18:30

37

14

~ 1

No

In week current

Geir Eliassen

Arendal undervannsklubb

18

2017

27.06

Tingelsete in Egersund, Rogaland County

16:00

10

10

1.5

Yes

Floating in area with dense kelp forest

Erling Svensen

19

2017

06.07

West side of Foldnes at Fjell, Hordaland County

14:30

15–20

10

2

Yes

Floating southward. No other structures to be seen (but bad visibility)

Magnus Garberg

20

2017

13.07

Kjeahålå farm at Ombo Island, Rogaland County

12:40

18

~ 15

2

Opaque ball, so did not see

Opaque sphere, like an egg. Three other spheres observed during ~ 13 years time, within 1 km. Some seemed empty. The spheres bump into the net on aquaculture farms. Neutral boyancy

Mantas Kaciulis, Stanley Moen

Fiskaa Undervannsservice as

21

2017

~ 17.07

Lysekil, Västra Götaland County, Sweden

Information from facebook-group

Rickard Larsson

22

2017?

?

Lysekil, Västra Götaland County, Sweden

Information from facebook-group

Rickard Larsson

23

2017

18.07

Sandnesfjorden/Lagfjorden near Risør, Aust-Agder County

16:19

0.5

18

2

Yes

Photographer saw it at surface from boat but ran into it with propellar before pictures were taken

Espen Danielsen, Felix Nordgaard Danielsen, Jan Petter Røseth

24

2017

26.07

Rongsundet, Hordaland County

14:00

25

11

~ 1

Yes

In strong southern currents

Bjørnar Nygård

1Dykkeklubb

25

2017

28.07

Volsdalsberga in Ålesund, Møre & Romsdal County

15:30

17

10

> 1

No

The sphere seemed empty

Ronni Bless Bekkemellem, Torbjørn Inge Flor

Veterandykk Molde

26

2017

20.08

Ærøya at Arendal, Aust-Agder County

12:00

18

15.7

1

No

Currents 1 m/s. Lumps on the outside of sphere, and green algae hanging from it

Harald Pedersen

Arendal undervannsklubb

27

2017

30.08

Valøyene near Grimstad, Aust-Agder County

10:30

2

16–17

0.75

Possibly

Inside the sphere was one area slightly darker than the rest

Ola Brandt

28

2017

02.09

Boat harbour at Åmøy, Rogaland County

13:00

surface

~ 15

Unknown

Probably

Possible sphere, but damaged, seen at the surface from boat. Surface currents 0.5–1 m/s inside sheltered harbour

John Johannessen

29

2017

03.09

Jonsgrunnen in Meløy, Nordland County

09:00

2–3

0.75–1

No

Seen when fishing, in strong northwards currents

Synnøve Kåseth

30

2017

~ 07.09

Kallsøyna, SW of Askøy, Hordaland County

Fishing net at max. 70 m

14

0.7

No

Caught in fishing net

Terje Vindenes

31

2018

June

Lillesand area (?), Aust-Agder County

Several spheres have been spotted, but sizes and dates unknown

Lise and Peter Walker

32

2018

10.07

Kråkerøy, Enhuskilen, Østfold County

12:00

surface

17.5

0.4

Yes

Trine Elisabeth Hobøl

33

2018

11.07

Trolleskär, Sweden

8

14

0.5

Yes

Birgitta Lantto, Zoltan Mate

34

2018

21.07

Os, Strøneosen, Hordaland County

3

0.6–0.7

?

Spotted while freediving

Arne Indrearne

35

2019

10.07

Between Barstadvika and Festøy, Ålesund, Møre & Romsdal County

~ 21:45

13

~ 12

1

No

Transparent, seemed empty and entangled into kelp

Harald Woldsund, Pauline Neergård, Margunn Alice Nordli

OSI dykking

36

2019

17.07

Dalsholmen, Arendal, Aust-Agder County

12

12

0.7

Yes

Tried to catch the sphere using liftbag, but the sphere dissolved. It looked like an old sphere

Geir Eliassen

Arendal undervannsklubb

37

2019

18.07

Bufjord camping, Homborsund, Aust-Agder County

1.5

0.4

No

Spotted from shore

Evelyn Aagestad, Gro Magnhild Fosteråsen, Siri Karlstorp Rustad

38

2019

19.07

Nordnes, Foldøy, Rogaland County

5

~ 12

~ 0.4

No

Sphere had a "tale" and two "ears". Observed close to a wall

Tor Erik Meland

39

2019

19.07

Lillesand, Aust-Agder County

Peter Walker

40

2019

21.07

Buholmen, Kristiansund, Møre & Romsdal County

11:39

~ 7

10

> 1

Yes

Transparent sphere was laying on sandy bottom

Bjørn Sem

41

2019

21.07

West of Mandal, Vest-Agder County

21:00

10

16

1

No

A probable sphere (collapsed shape), was observed

Pim Midling, Erik Wang

42

2019

23.07

Gulafjorden, Sogn & Fjordane County

15.45

20

12

0.8

Yes

Observed 2 nautic miles from Gulen Dive Resort

Guests

Gulen Dive Resort

43

2019

28.07

Magerholm, Storfjorden, Ålesund, Møre & Romsdal County

12:45

43

8

1

Yes

A narrow streak through center of sphere. TISSUE SAMPLE PROVIDED. Technical divers

Peter Gundelfingen Olejar, Martin Hansen

Oceanfjord as, Ålesund sportsdykkerklubb

44

2019

28.07

Between Småværa and Hauglandsøy, Askøy, Hordaland County

15–20

0.5

Yes

Free floating

Morten Gjellestad, Grzegorz Marsicki

Askøy sportsdykkerklubb

45

2019

01.08

Volsdalsberga in Ålesund, Møre & Romsdal County

16:40

19

13

0.8

A darker part

A larger dark area on one side of sphere, narrowing towards the center

Andreas Olsson, Leif Haagensen

Ålesund sportsdykkerklubb

46

2019

07.08

Kilsund, Arendal, Aust-Agder County

14:54

17

14

0.5

Possibly a vague streak seen on video

Deformed, dissolving sphere. TISSUE SAMPLE PROVIDED

Geir Eliassen, Anita Eliassen

Arendal undervannsklubb

47

2019

08.08

Kilsund, Arendal, Aust-Agder County

10:15

15

15

0.8

A short streak

Small eggs inside sphere. Several lumps on the outside. TISSUE SAMPLE PROVIDED

Geir Eliassen, Anita Eliassen

Arendal undervannsklubb

48

2019

11.08

Våtmyrholmen, Sykkylven, Møre & Romsdal County

14

11

12

1

Possibly a darker, short area

Not quite spherical. "Fluffy" consistency when waving hand above sphere

Robert Fiksdal, Thomas Jenssen

Ikornnes dykkerklubb

49

2019

13.08

Bøvågen, Radøy, Hordaland County

11:30

16

10

04–0.45

No

Observed during wreck diving. Lump on the outside

Grzegorz Marsicki

Askøy sportsdykkerklubb

50

2019

16.08

Ny Hellesund, Søgne, Vest-Agder County

10

15

0.5

No

Decaying sphere. On bottom, trapped underneath kelp. TISSUE SAMPLE PROVIDED

Karl Klungland

Søgne dykkerklubb

51

2019

24.08

Kalvøysund, Kristiansand, Vest-Agder County

20

0.7–0.8

Sphere oval/sphere shaped, floating free in water mass. Thousands of embryos in sphere

Geir Eliassen, Anita Eliassen

Arendal undervannsklubb

52

2019

25.08

Bevøya, Moss, Østfold County

12:30

20

14–16

0.4

2 red/dark dots inside

Whole sphere floating about 0.3 m above sandy, muddy sediment

Tommy Pedersen

53

2019

24.08

Homborsund lighthouse, Aust Agder County

18:00

0.5

~ 18

0.3–0.4

One dark dot

A floating sphere was spotted at 0.5 m depth, when freediving. Total depth at site was 3 m

Roald Andreassen

54

2019

12.09

Storfjorden, Ålesund, Møre & Romsdal County

23

13

Possible remains of a dissolving sphere: a gelatinous flake (25–30 cm in length) entangled in kelp, with 2–3 possible eggs/embryos, about 4 mm in length. Diver has previously seen a whole sphere

Martin Hansen

Oceanfjord as

55

2019

05.10

Ørstadfjorden, Møre & Romsdal County

10:30

17

10

~ 0.9

Yes

No currents, so sphere was not mooving. Neutral in water. Some freshwater down to approx. 25 m depth

Ronald Raasch, Nils Baadnes, Brynjar Aarnseth

Frosta Froskemannsklubb. Levanger Undervannsklubb

56

2019

20.10

Mølen, Hurum, Oslofjord, Buskerud County

30

9

0.6–0.7

No

Free floating, transparent sphere

Bjørn Sem

Moss undervannsklubb

England/Scotland border

57

2016

August

East of Eyemouth, 30 miles off shore, NE England

18

7–10

1–1.2

Dark mass in the middle

Sphere drifted past divers whilst on deco stop. Roughly spherical but not round. One diver poked it and it was firm. Three technical divers with 25–30 years of experience each sees sphere for the first time

Steve Burke, Steve Saunders, Lorne Thomson

Diving with Marine Quest/Iain Easingwood at wreck of NJ Fjord

From Spain, Atlantic coast

58

1985/1986

Ontón, Cantabria, Spain

6–8

16–18

~ 2

Floating sphere

Patxi Berastegui

59

2017

24.03

Ensenada "Fontans", near Viveiro, Galicia, Spain

~ 17–19

10

15

1

yes

Sphere observed while floating over rocky bottom, and after a while it seemed wedged into a small ditch

Eduardo Losada Lage

From Mediterranean Sea

1900

September

Naples, Italy

surface

Adolf Naef observed ommastrephid larvae "on floating spawn" in Naples, in 1900. This "spawn" was not illustrated

Adolf Naef (Ref.²)

60

1999?

October

Island of Brac, Milna, Croatia

53

0.8

Yes

Miro Andric (Ref.²⁸)

61

2005

18.09

Farillons, off Marseille, France

30

1

Yes

An illustration of a sphere with a streak through center has been drawn. Coral-colored tube, expanding at each end, is crossing the center of the sphere

Christine Baudin

62

2006

September

Muljica, near Otok Arkandel, Croatia, Adriatic Sea

50

17

1.5

Yes

Transparent and free floating sphere

Borko Pusic, Roy Soage, Marko Prasek

Diving Center Pongo, Croatia

63

2009

22.08

Castel viel, Cassis, France

09:00

45

20

1

Yes

In suspension 50 cm above a sandy bottom

Alain Beauté

Pertuis France

64

2010

22.08

Portofino, National park, close to Secca dell'Isuela, Italy

~ 10:00

33

~ 24

0.8–1

Yes

Bad visibility in the water

Simone Ulzega, Francesco Litrico

65

2011

23.04

Punta Campanella, Gulf of Naples, Italy

15:22

50

14

1

Yes

Resting on the bottom. Spotted on a plateau, close to a wall

Edoardo Ruspantini, Daniel Castrucci

Punta Campanella Diving

66

2011

31.07

Ile de Riou, Calanques, Marseille, France

10:00

25

1

Yes

Sphere was floating a few meters above the seafloor

Thomas Brelet, Carole Baffert

L'enfant et la Mer

67

2013

22.06

Les Deux Fréres, Saint Mandrier, France

15:47

6

19

0.80

An oval, dark spot

Floating

Renauld Helstroffer

Thalassa

68

2013

08.08

Cap Caveau, Marseille, France

4

0.6–0.7

?

Francois Savineau

69

2013

26.08

Ile verte la Ciotat, France

morning

24

14

0.7–0.8

No?

Perrine Moreau

70

2013

14.09

Ile de Riou, Parc des Calanques, Marseille, France

6

14

1.5

Yes

Top of the sphere full of white dots

Franc Jourdan, Alexandre Sassatelli

FCSMP

71

2013

17.09

Pointe Cacau, Cassis, France

21

14

0.75

Yes

Strong winds

Fabienne Henry

Narval Plongée

72

2014

15.08

Le Mejean, Frapao, France

~ 10

Yes

Sabine Boulad, Audrey Joulia

73

2014

15.08

Le Mejean, Frapao, France

11:00

~ 5

> 22

1

Yes

The sphere was partly opened at one end

Edouard Bard

Plongée Passion Carry

74

2014

21.08

Archipel de Riou, Pointe de Caramaseigne, France

09:50

45

17

1.2

Yes

Observed for five minutes. When approaching the sphere with the hand, the sphere shape changed form due to water pressure. When removing the hand, the shape went back to original shape

Philippe Le Roy

Atoll de Marseille

75

2014

12.09

Reqqa point, Malta

13:40

52

21

1

YES

Free floating sphere moving with slow current

Sonia Silvio, Jeffery Falzon

Atlantis Diving Centre

76

2015

02.05

Pointe Cacau, Cassis, France

morning

5

1

Yes

Frédéric Di Meglio

77

2015

31.07

La Ciotat, France

3

1.5

Yes

Two black "spots" inside

Jean-Pierre Croce

78

2015

02.09

Ile verte La Ciotat, France

25

1–1.5

Yes

Claude Chanteux

79

2015

05.09

Castel Viel, Cassis, France

morning

30 or ~ 40?

19

1–1.5 (?) [sic]

Yes

Several divers saw the same sphere

Sandrine Clerc, Jackie Dozin, Denis Baranger via Christine Lacouture and Alain-Pierre Sittler

Narval Plongée

80

2015

06.09

Sormiou, near Marseille, France

15:00

3

15

1.8

Yes

The sphere had a black string in the center. A hole was present on the surface of the sphere (like a torn tissue). The sphere was not moving

Rémy Guillo du Bodan

Private snorkeling

81

2016

08.05

National Park, Portofino, Italy

11:00

~ 12

16

1.0–1.2

No

Pietro Crovetto

82

2016

23.06

Medes Islands, Tascons Petits, Estartit, Spain

11:30

18–20

20–21

1

No

Transparent with lots of "lobes"—no visible streak inside. Seemed empty. Recorded 10 m from a wall

Elisabeth de Longeville, Christine Chesnay

Sensation Paris Plongée

83

2016

02.08

La Ciotat, Le Mugel, France

10:11

17

0.6–0.7

Yes

Emmanuel Roguet

84

2016

06.08

Les Moyades, Marseille, France

15:55

20

14

1.2

Yes

Spotted day after strong Mistral (wind from the south of France), in calm sea

Cyril Feuillet, Jean Marie Perrin, Patrick Carreno

Private dive

85

2017

25.04

Calafuria, Italy

30

1

No?

Possibly egg mass of Ommastrephes bartramii

Fabio Benvenuti, Luigi Macchi

86

2017

27.05

Cerbére, France

11

0.3

Blackish dot

Natalia Vazart

87

2018

13.08

Isla Dragonera, Balearic Island, Mallorca, Spain

11:15

48

16.5

1.4

Yes

Spotted 1 m from the bottom

José Coronel

ZOEA Mallorca Diving Center

88

2018

06.09

Isola del Giglio, Secca della Croce, Toscana, Italy

afternoon

~ 60

~ 15

1.2–1.5

Yes

Spotted 40 cm above sediment, in weak currents. Technical divers

Carlo Lorenzetti

89

2019

24.03

Seiano, Gulf of Naples, Italy

5–6

0.3–0.4

?

Spotted while freediving

Rosella Brivio

Narval Plongée

90

2019

30.09

Impériaux (Riou island), Marseille, National Park of Calanques, France

morning

45

20

0.45

Yes

Twisted, whitish streak

Charly Roba, Jonathan Mouton

Narval Plongée