'It looked like bubble wrap across the beach': Thousands of jellyfish wash up along Australia coast

Thousands of blue blubber jellyfish washed up on the golden beaches near Brisbane, Australia - thought to be the biggest such appearance in history.

The annual event, known as 'bloom', happens when jellyfish wash in with the tide and strand themselves on the sand.

Spectacular photographs taken by Brisbane local Charlotte Lawson show how the beach can barely be seen beneath the carpet of sea creatures.

"There was so many of them, it looked pretty cool - it looked like bubble wrap across the beach," she told the Brisbane Times.

"It happens every year but there's never been this many, this year it's been heaps.

"There was only a metre of sand between the jellyfish and the concrete."

The bloom normally lasts around a week - and, sure enough, since the pictures were taken on January 31 most of the jellyfish have already gone back out to sea.

Speaking to ABC News, marine biologist Dr Lisa-Ann Gershwin, who specialises in jellyfish, said it was the largest bloom she had seen in her 25 years of research.

"Jellyfish bloom is part of their lifecycle and if the winds blow just right and if the water level falls with the tide, then they get stranded," she said.

"We see jellyfish bloom, but not like this, this is jaw-dropping."

She said she suspected a combination of northerly winds and tide conditions caused the jellyfish to bloom to such an extent.

The blue blubber jellyfish, or catostylus mosaicus, are mildly venomous and can grow up to 35cm in diameter.

Anyone stung by one of the creatures is advised to take a hot shower to ease the pain.