Waverley Council to Clean Up Bronte Beach After Invasion of Bluebottles
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Not long after multiple eastern Sydney beaches were temporarily closed due to mysterious tar balls washing up on the shore, Sydney’s Bronte Beach experienced an influx of invasive bluebottles emerging along the shore and sand.
Bronte Beach, located between Bondi Beach and Coogee Beach, is a popular tourist and local spot and one of Sydney’s star beaches, therefore bluebottle jellywish pose a painful threat to swimmers and beachgoers alike.
Waverley Council to clean up bluebottles on the beach
On Thursday night, the Council of Waverley said it would clean up the beach to ensure the safety of its visitors.
“Bluebottles come ashore frequently in the warmer months when there are prevailing onshore winds and are deposited on the beach at high tide,” the spokesman said.
“This has been particularly noticeable this week at the southern end of Bronte Beach which is exposed to north-easterly winds.
“Council undertakes regular beach cleaning which will take place tonight with a further inspection and clean up tomorrow morning if required.”
Bluebottle jellyfish: painful, but not fatal
Bluebottles, which resemble clear blue bubbles, sometimes mistaken for pieces of plastic littering the beach, have long blue tentacles that remain active even once the jellyfish is dead.
Despite doling out painful stings, bluebottles are not likely to kill a human, but the protocol for stings is to remove the stingers fully, then run the area under hot water, and if the swelling and pain does not subside, seek medical attention immediately, according to the Beach Safety guide at Bondi Beach.
Bluebottles common in warmer months in eastern Australia
Influxes of bluebottles on beaches will be more common in the warmer months in eastern Australia, so steering clear of them and alerting lifeguards if there is a sudden large amount of them on the beach is crucial to the safety and wellbeing of oneself and others.
A reported 10-30,000 bluebottle stings occur each year in eastern Australia. The painful, stinging jolts may feel unpleasant, but there have been no recorded human fatalities due to the jellyfish’s venom.
