A rare jellyfish has found its way over the last few days up and down the Jersey Shore -- and it packs quite a sting.  

“They've been found up and down,” says Marine Biologist Liza Baskin. “We have reports from Sandy Hook all the way down past Ocean County and really large numbers and a lot of people getting stung.”

Baskin spent her Wednesday morning looking a mauve stinger jellyfish.

“Water is really flat right now, which means flat surf, but it means signs the winds have changed direction,” says Baskin.

The jellies eluded her today, but not Maggie McGuire, who saw them all week at SeaWatch Beach in Manasquan.  

“They’re all over the water, they’re pretty interesting too,” says McGuire. “The boys have been catching them.”

It isn't your typical red jellyfish floating in the waves. The jellyfish is known as a mauve stinger. Typically, they stay far out to sea, but recent onshore winds and warm water brought them and left bathers with a painful sting.  

They look like they're a few inches long with a bulbous and spotted appearance, and what makes them unusual is every part of its body is covered in stinging cells.

They deliver a more powerful sting than the common lions mane species we are familiar with. Marine biologist Liza Baskin explains why the creatures are making their presence known on the shore. 

If you happen to get stung, Baskin says the best treatment is old fashioned vinegar.  

Baskin and other marine biologists are looking for any live specimens of the jellyfish. If you happen to safely catch one, you can contact them on their Facebook group -- New Jersey Jelly Spotters.