The Young Woman and the Sea: Did Trudy Ederle really swim through jellyfish?

The Young Woman and the Sea has made a splash on Disney+, with the film centring around Gertrude Ederle - the first woman to swim the English Channel. After watching the inspirational biopic, viewers have wanted to learn more about her record-breaking swim through jellyfish-infested waters.

Arriving on the streaming service last week, The Young Woman and the Sea depicts Gertrude ‘Trudy’ Ederle's 1926 crossing with her battling against the elements.

Freezing temperatures weren’t the only obstacle, with Trudy encountering sexism and sabotage as she attempted to cross the English Channel.

And after watching the film, fans have been keen to know more about how much of it is based on reality, including whether Trudy swam through jellyfish-infested waters. 

Did Trudy Ederle swim through jellyfish?

Trudy Ederle did encounter jellyfish during her ground-breaking swim across the Channel and was even stung several times.

However, The Young Woman and the Sea does take some artistic license with her channel crossing. While the Disney movie shows Trudy encountering a swarm of "red jellyfish", it is unlikely that she had to swim through such a large number.

According to sporting biographer Gavin Mortimer, Trudy looked "like a boxer" at the finish line because of the freezing waters that battered her face. She was also repeatedly stung by jellyfish en route.

He told History.com, "She was all bruised [at the finish line]. And also her tongue had swelled up so much because of the salt water, she could hardly speak."

The jellyfish depicted in the film are likely to be Lion’s Mane, a species common to UK waters and known for their reddish-brown hue.

Though they do have a nasty sting, they tend to swim solo - only grouping after storms or bad weather.

As her swim took place in early August, it is more likely that Trudy encountered several solo jellyfish along her record-breaking swim which resulted in her being stung.

To protect herself from their stings, the swimmer would have coated herself in a mix of petrolatum, olive oil and lard before embarking on the perilous crossing.