Horror pic shows bluebottle influx danger on Australian beaches

Warm waters have caused a jellyfish population explosion with hordes of the creatures washing up on beaches.

Beaches on Australia’s east coast are being swamped with bluebottle jellyfish after a spike in the creature’s population.

The continued windy and warm weather has pushed the bluebottles, which are unable to move on their own, closer to shore.

While the phenomenon is being noticed mostly on NSW’s mid-north coast, the animals have been spotted as far south as Sydney and as far north as the Sunshine Coast.

Already this week, hundreds of bluebottles have swamped beaches in Port Macquarie, Taree and Forster.

Bluebottles washed ashore this week in New South Wales. Picture: Facebook.

It comes after a bumper summer for the animals, with scientists explaining warm waters off the coast of Australia had led to a population spike.

Tasmanian-based biologist and jellyfish expert Dr Lisa-Ann Gershwin said the number of animals was not unprecedented but said it is often a shock to beachgoers.

“It’s the warmer months which is when they bloom or you know, they kind of multiply into super abundances, so that part’s fairly normal, seasonal,” Dr Gershwin told 3AW in January.

The jump in numbers has been put down to warm weather. Picture: Facebook.

“But we’re also having an extremely warm spike this year. This tends to amp up their metabolism, they grow faster, they breed more, they live longer.

“And that’s what we’re seeing and not just this species, we’re seeing lots and lots of species of jellyfish right across the country that are just going absolutely bananas right now.”

Already this year, social media has been awash with beachy holiday snaps but they are often accompanied by a warning.

“If you’re heading to the beach today, watch out for bluebottles. There were a bunch of them on my morning walk today!” posted NSW MP Jodie Harrison

Several North Queensland beaches were forced to close in January after a spate of stings from Irukandji.

One boy was escorted to Cairns Hospital in a stable condition following a sting at Trinity Beach on January 17, while another boy required airlifting to Mackay Hospital stable after he was stung on Hamilton Island.