Jellyfishing

This is the page about the episode. For other uses, see Jellyfishing (disambiguation).

Jellyfishing
General
Production code:	2515-103
Season №:	1
Episode №:	3a
Airdate:	July 31, 1999 October 2, 1999 January 4, 2000 March 15, 2000 See more... November 11, 1999 (subtitled) January 8, 2000 March 18, 2000 March 20, 2000 September 16, 2000 February 10, 2001 April 21, 2001 July 4, 2001 (Novyi Kanal) July 11, 2001 (EBS) September 12, 2001 (Télétoon) September 22, 2001 December 5, 2001 December 19, 2001 August 23, 2002 (Super RTL) October 8, 2002 (SRF ZWEI) October 16, 2002 (JEI TV) July 3, 2003 July 12, 2003 September 4, 2003 September 27, 2003 (CNBC-e) November 21, 2003 (Asia Television) January 14, 2004 (Orf 1) February 11, 2004 (Lativi) August 25, 2004 September 3, 2004 February 23, 2005 (ICTV) September 14, 2005 (Nickelodeon) November 30, 2005 (Nickelodeon) January 31, 2006 February 1, 2006 (Global TV) September 20, 2006 October 21, 2006 July 21, 2007 September 5, 2007 July 10, 2008 July 30, 2008 (dubbed) June 28, 2009 August 30, 2010 (QTV) March 7, 2014 February 9, 2017 February 3, 2018 (PLUS PLUS) February 26, 2018 (TET) April 18, 2019 July 2, 2020 (ViuTVsix) June 3, 2021 July 14, 2022 (Nicktoons, Zulu version) January 28, 2025 (Amediateka)
U.S. premiere time (ET):	10:00 am
Copyright year:	1999
U.S. viewers (millions):	2.89
Running time:	11 minutes, 2 seconds
Sister episode(s):	"Plankton!"
Credits
Writer(s):	Steve Fonti Chris Mitchell Peter Burns Tim Hill
Storyboard Artist(s):	Chris Mitchell
Storyboard:	Steve Fonti
Animation:	Alan Smart
Creative:	Derek Drymon
Chronology
Previous	"Ripped Pants"
Next	"Plankton!"

"Jellyfishing" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season 1. In this episode, SpongeBob and Patrick take Squidward jellyfishing.

Characters

• French Narrator
• Jellyfish
• SpongeBob SquarePants
• Patrick Star
• Squidward Tentacles
• Queen jellyfish ^(debut)

Synopsis

At SpongeBob's house, SpongeBob and Patrick are getting ready to go jellyfishing. They observe a jellyfish swimming by through a massive telescope protruding from a window in the house, then slide down ropes (causing them to get rope burn that literally produces flames on their hands) and assemble their jellyfish nets while SpongeBob puts on his glasses. Before they leave, they meet Squidward and ask him if he wants to join them. He says that he cannot go with them because he is "busy" and goes bicycling instead. SpongeBob asks Squidward if he can join them next time. Squidward sarcastically accepts and goes down the road. However, SpongeBob does not understand the sarcasm and suspects Squidward never has time for them; Patrick says it's because Squidward doesn't like them, but SpongeBob convinces Patrick that's not the case and plans to go jellyfishing with him eventually.

Squidward in a wheelchair.

While he is biking, Squidward has an accident involving a jellyfish and gets his tentacles tangled in his bike's pedals, causing him to veer out of control, tumble down a cliff, and explode when he hits the bottom, leaving him wheelchair-bound. SpongeBob and Patrick decide that what Squidward needs is a "Best Day Ever" when he returns, bandaged essentially everywhere on his body besides his eyes. The Best Day Ever begins at Squidward's house, where Patrick offers Squidward alphabet soup. Patrick blows the hot soup onto Squidward's bandaged face several times before SpongeBob says that soup is not a good idea. SpongeBob then suggests that some music would be good, and gets Squidward's clarinet. He blows a horrible note before realizing that his lips are too dry, and goes through several exaggerated motions of trying to wet his lips. A disgusted Patrick soon violently snatches the instrument away from SpongeBob, declaring music not to be a good thing for Squidward either.

"Firmly grasp it!"

SpongeBob and Patrick then declare that a jellyfishing expedition would be in order for the "Best Day Ever." They then go to Jellyfish Fields, SpongeBob tells Patrick to give a net to Squidward while he finds "a good specimen." Patrick explains that Squidward must "firmly grasp [the net] in [his] hand," but fails to put a jellyfishing net in Squidward's cast-covered hand and, in frustration, stabs it through Squidward's palm, much to his chagrin and pain.

Squidward is not into jellyfishing at first, but when a jellyfish stings him, he wheels after it for revenge. He manages to catch the jellyfish and bangs his net triumphantly against a pink mass. While Squidward does this, the pink mass arises to reveal itself as a queen jellyfish who is irritated by the banging. At this point, the queen jellyfish chases after Squidward, while SpongeBob and Patrick obliviously cheer him on until the queen jellyfish zaps Squidward with a massive sting, leaving their cheering replaced with cringing at Squidward's misfortune.

The next day, SpongeBob and Patrick covered in band-aids meet outside Squidward's house, where they see he is now life-support-bound and attempt to talk to him but are ignored. After he is unable to enter his home, they apologize and give Squidward the jellyfish that he caught the previous day as an apology. SpongeBob asks Squidward if he still isn't mad at them, but he frees the jellyfish from the jar, causing Patrick and SpongeBob to realize that he is and run off into the distance from the jellyfish while being stung repeatedly. As Squidward laughs at their misery, the queen jellyfish finds him and stings him again, destroying his life-support and shattering his body cast. A completely blackened Squidward mutters a slight painful "Ow."

Production

This episode's recording script was completed on August 3, 1998. The finished master was delivered to Nickelodeon Animation Studio on June 14, 1999.

Script

• On November 14, 2016, recording scripts for every episode from season 1 were publicly released, found on one of the asset discs for the PlayStation video game, SuperSponge. This included the recording script for "Jellyfishing."

Art

Title card background.

Promo art for the episode.

Unused shot of Squidward's house.

Storyboard

Cels

Music

( ‣ ) Production music

( • ) Original music

( ◦ ) SpongeBob music

 • War Blower (drums only) - The Blue Hawaiians [Title card]
 ‣ Aloha Oé - Hans Haider, Queen Lili'uokalani [Opening]
 ‣ Cymbals [#85] - Mark Nolan [Plays before "The Grinder"]
 ‣ The Grinder - Rolf Krueger [Rock music]
 ‣ Cymbals [#85] - Mark Nolan [Plays before "The Grinder"]
 ‣ The Grinder - Rolf Krueger [SpongeBob and Patrick take three sets of poles and three sets of nets.]
 ‣ Merlins Hill - Jennifer Jones [SpongeBob and Patrick jellyfishing]
 ‣ The Tip Top Polka/The Cliff Polka - Chelmsford Folk Band [SpongeBob asks Squidward if he wants to go with them]
 ‣ Hawaiian Link (A) - Richard Myhill [Squidward rides off]
 ‣ Hawaiian Link (B) - Richard Myhill ["Are you kidding? We're his best friends."]
 ‣ Honolulu March - Hans Haider [SpongeBob waiting for Squidward]
 • You're Nice - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield ["Welcome home, Squidward!"]
 ‣ The Tip Top Polka/The Cliff Polka - Chelmsford Folk Band [Jellyfish Fields]
 • Nick's B. Danube - Nicolas Carr [Showing Squidward how it's done]
 ‣ Blue Danube - Fiachra Trench, Johann Strauss [End of "Nick's B Danube"]
 • Grass Skirt Chase - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Squidward chasing a jellyfish]
 ‣ Menace from the Deep - Robert Cornford [Giant jellyfish wakes up]
 ‣ Dangerous B - Mladen Franko [Squidward runs away from the giant jellyfish]
 ‣ Dangerous A - Mladen Franko [Giant jellyfish chases Squidward]
 ‣ Dangerous B - Mladen Franko [Giant jellyfish chases Squidward]
 • Gator - Steve Belfer [The next day]
 ‣ Old Hilo March - Kapono Beamer [Jellyfish in jar]
 ‣ Menace from the Deep - Robert Cornford [Giant jellyfish returns]
 ‣ Hawaiian Link (A) - Richard Myhill ["Ow."]

Release

Distribution

• This episode is available on the Nautical Nonsense and Sponge Buddies, SpongeBob Schwammkopf Folge 2, Complete 1st Season, Sponge Buddies, The 1st Season: Volume 1, The Best of SpongeBob SquarePants, SpongeBob on DVD, Hunting For Jellyfish, Tea at the Treedome, Jellyfishing, Jellyfishing (South African DVD), Sponge Crazy, First 100 Episodes, SpongeBob SquarePants, iSponge Offer Pack, Really Big Box Set, The Ultimate SpongeBob Box Set, SpongeBob SquarePants Vol. 1, The Complete First Season, Orange Collection, From the Beginning, Part 1, The SpongeBob SquarePants Collection, On the Road Again, Deep-Sea Games, Bob Esponja, The SpongeBob SquarePants 8 Season DVD Collection, The First & Second Seasons, Movies & TV Collection, The Best 200 Episodes Ever, and The Best 300 Episodes Ever DVDs along with SpongeBob SquarePants Volume 1 on GBA Video and on VideoNow.
• This episode is available on the Sponge Buddies and Undersea Antics Volume 1 VHS tapes.
• This episode is also available on the It's a SpongeBob Christmas! Blu-ray.

Reception

• "Jellyfishing" was ranked #40 during the Best Day Ever event from November 9–10, 2006.

Trivia

General

• Footage of the jellyfish swimming at the beginning was later re-used as the opening shot of "20,000 Patties Under the Sea."

Episode version and stock art version.

• The shot of SpongeBob with Patrick crashed on top of him while greeting Squidward was later turned into a piece of stock art.
• Squidward doesn't seem to remember who Patrick is in this episode, despite seemingly knowing him at the end of "Help Wanted" when taking his order. Amazon Prime Video's trivia feature notes this. However, it could be interpreted as Squidward knowing who Patrick is but simply not caring enough to remember his name.
• The scene where SpongeBob and Patrick talk to each other on the phone and reveals that they were both in SpongeBob's house was shown in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life, where Lara Croft went inside the family ship asking them to stay in the ship to use the orb. The clip was dubbed in Mandarin Chinese despite the location taking place in Hong Kong, whose denizens primarily speak Cantonese.
• SpongeBob calls Squidward his best friend in this episode, but in "Ripped Pants" he says Sandy is his best friend, in "Spin the Bottle" and "The Secret Box" he says Patrick is his best friend, and in "Dumped" his two best friends are Patrick and Gary.
• The sound of Squidward's electric wheelchair was also the troop transport carrier's sound from the Rebel Hangar scenes in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope (1977).
• Patrick's line "Firmly grasp it!" became an internet meme.
• Aside from the transition from the opening credits to the first shot, there were no bubble transitions and the only transitions used were fades.
• This is the first episode for a few things:
  • The first episode in packaging or release order to feature the original track "Gator" and the APM track "The Tip Top Polka/The Cliff Polka."
    • "Squeaky Boots" had both these tracks and began production earlier, however.
      • This is also the first episode where the track "The Tip Top Polka/The Cliff Polka" plays outside of a scene involving the Krusty Krab or Mr. Krabs.
  • The first in any order to feature either of the "Hawaiian Links" or the APM track "Dangerous."
  • The earliest episode produced to feature "Grass Skirt Chase," and the first in packaging or release order to feature it during an actual chase scene.
    • This is also the earliest episode produced to feature the track "Old Hilo March," and the first in packing or release order to feature it outside the title card.
  • The first episode that Nicolas Carr was a composer for.
  • The first appearance of SpongeBob's living room, Squidward's kitchen, and Jellyfish Fields.
  • The first time Squidward spends most of the episode with SpongeBob.
• This was Alan Smart's last episode as an animation director until the season 4 premiere episode, "Fear of a Krabby Patty."
  • This was also Tim Hill's last episode as a writer until "The Lost Mattress."
• In the UK and Ireland, the explosion after Squidward falls off his bike was edited to slow down the flashing lights.
• This episode was previously paired up with:
  • "Ripped Pants" during the Bring On Da Summer marathon.
  • "Once Bitten" during the Best Day Ever marathon on November 10, 2006.
  • "Krab Borg" on October 8, 2012.
  • "F.U.N." during the SpongeBob's Best Day Off Ever event.
  • "The Hot Shot" on July 13, 2014.
  • "I'm Your Biggest Fanatic" on July 20, 2018.
  • "Nature Pants" on November 18, 2018.
  • "Bubble Buddy" during the SpongeBob SmartyPants event on January 3, 2020.
  • "Best Day Ever" during the Best Buddies Week marathon on July 27, 2020.
  • "MuscleBob BuffPants" on January 10, 2021.
  • "Jellyfish Hunter" during the Week of All Things SpongeBob event on April 8, 2024.
  • "Planet of the Jellyfish" during the Week of All Things SpongeBob event on April 11, 2024.
• There is an online game based on this episode called SpongeBob's Jellyfishin' Game.
  • SpongeBob's lines "Let's go!," "I think I've got it!," "It's the jellyfish!," and "Oh, ouchie!" was reused in the game.
• This episode was later used as a second comic in SpongeBob and his Friends (Issue 9, Year 2009).

Dub facts

Jellyfishing Early Polish Airing Deleted Scene

• In early Polish airings, the scene where Patrick jams the net through Squidward's bandaged hand was cut. In the later airings, the scene was restored for unknown reasons.
• In Korea (only on EBS airings), the ending scene where Squidward gets stung by the queen jellyfish was cut, likely due to violence.

Cultural references

• When SpongeBob and Patrick show Squidward how to jellyfish, they vocalize the melody of the first movement of "The Blue Danube."
• The queen jellyfish is the underwater equivalent of queen bees and ants.

Errors

SpongeBob's house is missing one of the windows.

• After the scene switches from a shot of Conch Street to solely a shot of SpongeBob's house at the beginning, SpongeBob's house is missing a window.
• At the beginning, the sky is blue, but when SpongeBob and Patrick come out of the pineapple, the sky is orange, and when they chase the jellyfish, the sky is blue again.
• When SpongeBob says, "Hey, Squidward, we're jellyfishing," his mouth moves as if he is saying something else.
  • This happens again when he says, "There's one in position."

SpongeBob's house is missing and Squidward's eyelids are colored like his skin.

• When Squidward leaves SpongeBob and Patrick on his bicycle, SpongeBob's house is missing.
  • This error also occurs in "Pat the Dog."
  • In the same scene, Squidward's eyelids are colored light turquoise instead of teal.
• When Squidward's legs get stuck on the bike after going out of control by the jellyfish, his arms get stuck as well, even though only his legs are shown to get stuck.

Squidward's eyelids are again miscolored.

• When Squidward's bike starts crashing, his eyelids are colored like his skin again.

SpongeBob without a chin.

• Right before SpongeBob looks at a picture of him and Squidward, his chin disappears for a second.
• When SpongeBob says, "Hey, Patrick, Squid's home!," Patrick's mouth is syncing to what SpongeBob is saying.
• When SpongeBob and Patrick are chanting "Jellyfishing! Jellyfishing!" at Jellyfish Fields, SpongeBob's mouth does not move to the sync.
• Squidward's net switches between his hands. First, it is in his right hand, then his left, then right again.
• When Squidward is in his wheelchair, he needs a cast for each arm, but he can move them to slam his jellyfish against the bigger jellyfish.
• When Squidward is on his wheelbed at the end of the episode, when he arrives at the scene, he is facing his front door. However, later on in the scene, he is facing towards Patrick's house when the big jellyfish zaps him.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Arabic	صيد القناديل sayd alqanadil	Jellyfishing
Danish	Brandmanding	Fire Commanding
Dutch	Kwallenvissen	Jellyfishing
French	La pêche à la méduse	Jellyfishing
German	Quallenfischer	Jellyfishers
Italian	A caccia di meduse	Jellyfish Hunting
Polish	Na meduzy	On the Jellyfish
Romanian	La prins de meduze	Jellyfish Catching
Russian	Ловля медуз Lovlya meduz	Jellycatching
Spanish	Pesca de medusas	Jellyfishing