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NEW YORK (WCBS-TV) – A mystery of the abyss unfolds in New Jersey after a rare sea creature has failed.
Suzanne Schenker and her two dogs, Clara Belle and Lars, went out for a walk last week at Beach Haven when they came across a strange animal, just like they had never seen before.
"For some reason, I looked down and there was these incredibly blue jellyfish in the sand," she said. "They were so dynamic, it was unreal, so I could not help but stop and take note."
She posted a photo on Facebook for the "New Jersey Jelly Spotters" group and discovered that it was a jellyfish with blue buttons. Paul Bologna, jellyfish expert, also known as "Professor Jellyfish," says that they are so rare, even though he's never seen it in the Garden State.
"I only saw them in Florida," he said. "It's an unusual creature, a bit like a mixture of jellyfish and Portuguese wars.
Bologna says you should not be too worried if you spot one.
"All these organizations have the potential to sting you, but they are not really dangerous," he said.
So how did this strange creature come all this way? Scientists think that Hurricane Florence may have sent it this way.
"The blue jellyfish is not a species here," said Rory Conner Hogan of the Jenkinson Aquarium in Point Pleasant. "They come from subtropical regions, so it is likely that the Gulf Stream has clung to our shores."
Experts warn that the hot current may have brought other pungent jellyfish on our way. You may want to be careful when you walk in the sand.
"If you're stung, see a doctor," Hogan told WCBS-TV's Meg Baker. "Do not rub the affected area as it will move the tentacles and aggravate the pain."
Professor Jellyfish hopes that someone will find another blue button to study his DNA.
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