Portuguese man o’ war wash up on South Carolina beach, prompting warning

By WYFF Staff

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    HILTON HEAD ISLAND, South Carolina (WYFF) — A rare warning Wednesday for anyone headed to the South Carolina beach for the holidays: watch where you step.

Shore Beach Service, a beach patrol and equipment rental service for Hilton Head Island, posted photos on Facebook of dozens of Portuguese men o’ war washed up on the beach.

“They are very colorful creatures, but DO NOT TOUCH THEM,” the post warned. “Their sting is extremely painful, and they will still sting (out of the water) on the beach.”

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Mike Wagner, with Shore Beach Service, said the organisms seem to wash ashore every few years.

“Sometimes there are a lot, and sometimes just a few, but this is a lot,” he said.

One of the photos showed a bucket full of the sand-covered blobs.

Wagner said his employees gathered as many as they could and buried them to protect people walking on the beach.

“Advice on a remedy is varied, but most agreed to soak in hot water and seek further medical attention,” the post said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, said on its website that the jellyfish-like creature is named for an 18th-century Portuguese warship under full sail, which it resembles because of its balloon-like float.

It’s often called a jellyfish, but the Portuguese man o’ war, (Physalia physalis) is actually a species of siphonophore, a group of animals that are closely related to jellyfish, esperts say.

NOAA describes it like this:

“A siphonophore is unusual in that it is comprised of a colony of specialized, genetically identical individuals called zooids — clones — with various forms and functions, all working together as one. Each of the four specialized parts of a man o’ war is responsible for a specific task, such as floating, capturing prey, feeding, and reproduction. Found mostly in tropical and subtropical seas, men o’ war are propelled by winds and ocean currents alone, and sometimes float in legions of 1,000 or more.”

The man o’ war may still sting even weeks after having washed ashore, the site said.

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