A PERTH man says he thought he was experiencing something from a science fiction program after encountering a large blob that washed up on the Dunsborough shoreline last week.

Stratton resident Darran Hall said he was strolling the beach last Friday afternoon with his partner when he spotted the creature.

“I thought it was something from The X-Files,” he said.

“We only realised what it was when we walked up to it. It was massive. I didn’t think they got that big.”

According to world-renowned jellyfish expert Lisa-ann Gershwin, the creature was most likely a lion’s mane jellyfish or, less likely, a blubber jellyfish.

She said there was little to no research about the lion’s mane in this part of Australia.

Both species of jellyfish sting but Dr Gershwin said neither were life-threatening or would end in a visit to the hospital.

Earlier this week a visitor to New Zealand came across a similar ‘alien’ find.

Mr Hall said he admired the colourful creature, which was well wider than a dinner plate, for five minutes.

“The size and colour of it - we hadn’t seen anything like it,” Mr Hall said.