Surf Life Saving have warned people to watch out for marine stingers as blue bottles washed up on Tweed beaches yesterday.
Snapper Rocks was host to a number of the blue bottles.
The Daily News received multiple photos from witnesses showing blue bottles scattered along Tweed beaches early Friday morning.
There were also reports of marine stingers drifting along in the Tweed River.
Nicole Hartman was walking along the beach yesterday morning and noticed the jellyfish.
“They were all along from snapper to North Kirra,” she said.
Natasha Faux said that the stingers weren’t just in the ocean.
“Heaps of big jellyfish in the rivers today,” she said.
Brisbane tourist Daisy Havers quipped that the stingers were “a bit annoying”, but they weren’t going to stop her taking a dip.
Lifeguard superintendent Peter Miller said the wind was blowing the jellyfish onto the beach.
“With the wind that’s when they blow in,” he said.
“If they come in together you can get a whole congregation of them.”
Mr Miller thought he may know the origins of the jellyfish pile.
“If they are bluebottles they can get tangled up together.”
He warned swimmers to stay away from Snapper, which was not patrolled by life guards and was potentially dangerous.
Tips to prevent stings include staying away from affected beaches, wearing a lycra wet suit and following safety signs.
Lifeguards are also there to help, so if you’re unsure of the risks ask for their advice.
General first aid for an Irukandji or Box Jellyfish sting is to call 000, provide CPR if required, treat the sting with vinegar and transport the victim to hospital as soon as possible.
Bluebottles are less severe but will still cause pain and inflammation, so it’s recommended to remove any remaining tentacles with water or gloves and to treat the sting with vinegar.
If you are unsure of the type of jellyfish you should treat the sting as serious and get to hospital immediately.
Source: Luke Mortimer for My Daily News