jellyfish on the beach - Australia

Gold Coast, Australia. I spent two days at the sunny Gold Coast in Queensland. (where it was much cooler than Sydney)


I had a few hours to myself at the end of the afternoon and went back to the beach specifically to draw. The first object was a bluebottle jellyfish.

I had particular interest in drawing this creature as I had been stung by one while swimming in the ocean that morning. It was not big, but had a large fine tentacle that wrapped around my legs. OUCH it stung ! That lasted about 15 minutes and then welts were there for a few hours. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_man_o'_war

When I returned to the beach later in the day to draw, there were signs up at the patrolled beaches warning of Marine Stingers in the water.
Studying and drawing the jellyfish was fascinating – the blue colour is so intense in some area - it is almost jewel-like.



I drew other things on the beach and then came across a bell or blubber jellyfish. These are the sort of jelly fish that I vaguely remember seeing on the beach as a child. However, none has been as perfectly formed as this one !!

I am not a beach person and did not grow up on the coast or have beach holidays. So this past few days was an education and an adventure !