Thousands of Blue Blubber Jellyfish Invade a Beach in Queensland, Australia

Queensland, Australia’s Deception Bay is a vibrant beach destination, but its pristine sands have become as blue as its water with thousands of blue blubber jellyfish. 

 

In photos captured by beachgoer Charlotte Lawson, bulbous jellyfish dot the sand, stretching as far as the eye can see. 

 

“It was like bubble wrap across the beach,” Lawson told the BBC.

 

The jellyfish stranded themselves in a phenomenon known as bloom, the Telegraph reports. 

 

“Jellyfish bloom is part of their lifecycle and, if the winds blow just right and if the water level falls with the tide, then they get stranded,” marine biologist Dr. Lisa-Ann Gershwin told ABC News. “We see jellyfish bloom, but not like this, this is jaw dropping.” 

 

Gershwin believes the massive number of jellyfish is due to a combination of factors that include warmer waters, more nutrients in the water and fewer predators, according to the BBC. 

 

 

“They don’t beach themselves like some animals - jellyfish don’t do that,” Gershwin told ABC. “They can’t breathe out of water, but they do need water around them to have oxygen diffused across their skin. They also need water to support their body so it doesn’t cave in on itself.” 

 

She added that she expects the jellyfish will dry out on land and be eaten by birds.

 

In addition to the mass amounts of blue blubber jellyfish that appeared on Deception Bay, another jellyfish species, the bluebottle, stung more than 22,800 swimmers on the Sunshine Coast from Dec. 1, 2016, to Jan. 31, 2017, BBC reports. 

 

Blue blubber jellyfish can grow 13 inches across and are the most common jellyfish in Queensland, according to the Queensland Museum. They’re typically found in dense swarms and swim just below the surface of the water. 

 

Its sting does not cause much harm to humans, but cold packs or wrapped ice should be applied to the affected area.