Thousands of Australians stung by bluebottle jellyfish!

A marine hydrozoan that is usually found in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans seems to have invaded the shores of Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, QLD, over the past weekend. Several bluebottle jellyfish stings have been reported by more than 2000 beach-goers. While the stings are very sharply painful, none of them is life-threatening.

This translucent aqua-life that has long tentacles and measure up to 6-inches long are now seen in crowds after being washed onto the sands by heavy currents. The Surf Life Queensland has shut down any access to the beaches with warning signboards. People have been instructed not to touch them or try to have any kind of contact with them. First aids are readily available by the lifesavers belonging to the SLQLD squad. The changing weather conditions and oceanic currents have apparently resulted in the unusual happening.