Beachgoers are being warned to steer clear of a “fearsome predator” that washed up yesterday on the North Wales coast. A potentially deadly Portuguese man o’war was found by dog walkers on Porth Dafarch beach, Anglesey, on Wednesday, October 4.
People have been urged not to touch the sea creatures, often referred to as “false jellyfish”. Their stings are strong enough to kill fish and in very rare cases they have been known to kill humans.
Man o’war sightings tend to become more common around Britain in September and October as sea temperatures peak. As oceans continue to warm, experts expect increasing numbers of exotics to appear along the Welsh coast in the years to come.
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Already one council has sounded an alert. This week, South Hams District Council issued a warning following the discovery of man o’wars on beaches in the West Country, England.
On social media, the local authority said: “These colourful and fascinating animals are closely related to jellyfish, with a translucent purple float, tipped with pink, and long blueish-violet tentacles. While they are rarely deadly, they do give a very nasty sting even long after they are dead.
"This sting can cause painful swelling welts when in contact with the skin. So, how can you help? Keep children and dogs away and don’t touch.”
Also known as the “floating terror”, the creatures are not jellyfish but colonies of individual animals with their own separate functions. In humans, their stings usually cause severe pain and leave whip-like red welts on the skin.
![The Porth Dafarch man o’war was found with tentacles trailing in the water. These carry venom-filled sacs used to paralyze fish and other marine creatures](https://i2-prod.dailypost.co.uk/incoming/article27847394.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_AFRDPW051023ManoWar.jpg)
A 58-year-old French swimmer described a recent encounter with a man o’war in northern Spain. He said it was as though he’d been “wrapped in a metal net with a continuous high-voltage current”.
Several people were needed to pull him from the water as his lungs shrank and he suffered convulsions. The man was hospitalised for 10 hours.
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On beaches, the creatures should be left well alone. Neither should they be covered up to prevent accidental encounters.
On social media, Anglesey Sea Zoo said: “If you see one, please steer clear of it as they can sting very seriously – even when dead. Also bear in mind that the tentacles can be 10-20 metres long!”
The Anglesey man o’war was found by John Whittaker and wife Chris, who shared pictures on Facebook. “How can something so pretty make you want to run away screaming?” shuddered one woman.
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