Thanks to Claire Speight for getting in touch with photos of these Portuguese man o’ war (otherwise known as ‘floating terrors’) spotted on Sandown beach yesterday (Saturday).
The sting of the man o’ war is extremely painful and in very rare cases can be fatal, so advice is to avoid touching them.
It might look like a jellyfish, the man o’ war is something called a siphonophore. The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) explain that this bizarre creature is “not a single animal, but a floating colony”.
Compton too
Chloe Baker also got in touch on Saturday to say she’d seen several Portuguese man o’ war at Compton.
The message is clear, if you spot a floating terror washed up on the beach, walk away and don’t touch it. If you’re swimming or surfing, keep an eye out in the water.
