Portuguese Man-of-War

Portuguese Man of War

The downside of the water still being warm is that these are around. This is a Portuguese man of war, washed up on the beach. This particular one lost its stinging tentacles in the surf somewhere, yet was still alive and moving (I didn’t know they did that!). If you see one, the only part you might want to touch is this brightly-colored float, otherwise don’t risk a sting. If you get stung, here’s how to treat it. Remember… the tentacles can sting you even if they are detached from the rest of the animal or if the man of war is dead. Don’t walk barefoot around them and keep an eye out for them in the water.