A man who was stung on the face by an irukandji jellyfish while on board a commercial ship in north Queensland remains in hospital in a stable condition.

The man, who decided to do a spot of fishing over the side of a towering bulk carrier, was stung when the jellyfish was flung skywards from the sea below.

A spray of seawater carried the jellyfish 25 metres up, hitting the man as he stood on the deck and leaving him with a nasty sting.

"This is one of the most fascinating tasks I've worked on," air crewman Geoff Abrahams, who aided the response of the RACQ CQ Rescue helicopter on Sunday afternoon, said.

"Realistically, what are the chances of being stung by a jellyfish when you are safely on board a bulk carrier 25 metres above the water. It's really incredible."

The helicopter landed on the bulk carrier, Konmax, and flew the man to Mackay Base Hospital, where tests confirmed he had been stung by the jellyfish.

- ABC/AAP