Beaches along the Gold and Sunshine Coasts were closed after thousandsof beachgoers reported being stung by Blue Bottle Jellyfish over the weekend.

Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) said more than 2,600 people sought treatment for Blue Bottle stings with several suffering anaphylactic shock. Some 1,000 were stung in an hour on Sunday.  They contributed to the week long total of 13,000 stings last week - three times more than at the same time last year.

The Blue Bottle sting generally isn't fatal, but is known to be extremely painful.

"I have never seen anything like this - ever," said Surf Life Saving duty officer Jeremy Sturges.  "Not everyone reacts the same way but there have been very serious reactions."

And one doesn't have to be in the water to run afoul of a Blue Bottle Jelly. 

"People have been hurt as they just walk along the shoreline," warned Sturges, "Don't pick it up, don't walk on it or you will be stung."

Unusually strong wind pushed the sea creatures closer to shore.