A strange sighting at a Kailua beach yesterday, had many beachgoers stunned.

This odd-looking jellyfish was spotted floating in the water.

Viewers wanted to know, what kind of jellyfish it is, so we reached out to the Waikiki Aquarium.

Aquarium director Andrew Rossiter says in layman’s terms it’s simply known as the “purple jellyfish” characterized by its bright purple color.

He also tells us this particular species is usually found offshore and that it’s very unusual to see it around the islands.

“Occasionally they get washed up and generally it’s because they’re not in very good health,” Rossiter explains. “Probably it’s the onshore winds at the moment. Usually they’re found in slightly deeper water. They go down to about 1000 yards deep to 300 ft deep.”

Rossiter said it’s not one of most potent species of jellyfish, meaning it won’t kill you.

However, he says it will sting you even after it’s dead with what he calls a “dart-like system” that will fire when you touch it.

Probably best to not touch it and leave it alone.

Rossiter says best thing to do is exactly what happened in this case. Photograph the animal and reach out to us, or directly to the aquarium so they can identify the creature.