Beachgoers are asked to look out for Portuguese Man o’ War

SUNSET BEACH, NC (WECT) – Beachgoers in Sunset Beach are asked to be on the lookout for Portuguese man o’ war, according to the city’s fire department.

According to the Sunset Beach Fire Department, several Portuguese Man o’ War ships washed ashore this week.

“These things can cause severe pain and welts. If you see one, stay away and notify beach rescue so it can be removed,” the SBFD explains.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a Portuguese man o’ war can still set sail weeks after landing

“The man-of-war resembles an 18th-century Portuguese man-of-war under full sail and is recognizable by its balloon-like buoyancy, which can be blue, purple or pink and protrudes up to 6 inches above the waterline,” NOAA explains. “Lurking beneath the buoyancy are long strands of tentacles and polyps that average 10 meters (about 30 feet) long and can extend up to 30 meters (about 100 feet). The tentacles contain stinging nematocysts, microscopic capsules loaded with coiled, barbed tubes that secrete venom that can paralyze and kill small fish and crustaceans.

“Although the sting of the Portuguese man o’ war is rarely fatal to humans, it can be painful and cause hives on the skin.”

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