Beware Portuguese Man O'War at large on South Hams beaches

Recent storms have lead to some nasties showing up on local beaches in the South Hams, namely Portuguese Man O'War.

Dartmouth Coastguard Rescue Team stated that,

"One of our team was out early today and came across this Portuguese Man O’War “Jellyfish” on Slapton Sands and others at Lannacombe Beach too. The one in the photo was about 7cm across the float

We normally see them in the summer but the wind direction has been from the West to South sector for a lot of the winter and they have been blown up the channel onto our beaches with the high winds today

These give a very nasty sting that lingers, it can sting even when dead on the beach, and they are very toxic to Dogs and in some cases fatal if ingested. It may be wise to keep you dog on a lead on the beach? "

Here you will find the NHS Advice for jellyfish and Portuguese Man O’War stings: https://www.nhs.uk/.../jellyfish-and-other-sea-creature.../

Interesting Fact

Did you know that the Portuguese Man O'War is not actually a jellyfish?! It's a siphonophore; a colony of specialised animals called zooids that work together as one. Plus the Portuguese man o' war doesn't swim. It uses wind and ocean currents to propel it forward. So you can't blame them for showing up on our beaches ruining our dog walks as they have no say in where they go.

Image Credit: Dartmouth Coastguard Rescue Team