Thousands of alien-like jellyfish were spotted clustered together ‘wriggling and jiggling’ as they enveloped the Bateman’s Bay shoreline.
Huge amounts of poisonous bluebottles sprawling across the sand, rocks and shallow water, creating a blanket-like effect.
It is the alarming discovery of Barlings Beach. From what initially appears to be a continuation of the blue ocean from a distance, a closer view reveals masses of the tiny organisms heaped on top of each other.
Sting and Venom. The tentacles of the bluebottle jellyfish are constantly fishing for food in the water, and the poison they carry is used for killing the prey. The tentacles can be up to 30 meters long, and if you happen to be in its way you will get stung too. A sting can also cause an allergic reaction.
There are two types of bluebottle stings. The sting from the Physalia utriculus is fairly uneventful, and the pain generally fades within 30 minutes. The larger species in Australia (which is yet to be named and classified) has multiple main tentacles and causes Irukandji syndrome.