Men-of-war are familiar unwanted visitors on shores along Florida beaches in the spring. But recent strong breezes have swept these potentially painful pests our way. Several Florida municipalities have warned of an influx of Portuguese men-of-war on the beaches.
Often mistaken for jellyfish because of their jelly-like appearance, the man-of-war is a species of siphonophore whose distinctive blue gas-filled bubble that floats above the water looks like 18th century Portuguese warships’ sails, according to the National Ocean Service.
But it’s the tentacles dangling below the blue bubble that sting when they come into contact with your skin. Even when the creatures lie dead on the beach, those tangled tentacles splayed on the sand for up to 100 feet have enough active venom to sting.
