Look, but don’t touch! What to know about these animals on Beaufort County beaches
First off, to make it clear, the blue-violet blobs washing ashore and causing a stir are not jellyfish.
Yes, they sting like jellyfish. And they bear the same spindly tentacles. But the Portuguese man o’ war, while in a group of animals related to jellyfish, are a species of siphonophore, said South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ Erin Weeks.
Siphonophores — think coral and anemones — are colonial organisms, meaning they are comprised of groups of organisms living together as one. In the case of men o’ war, there are four different parts, controlling the float, tentacles, digestion and reproduction.
The man o’ war got its stately title as it resembles an 18th century Portuguese warship under full sail, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
With iridescent floats, ranging from pink to blue to purple, and navy tentacles, it’s hard to ignore the striking animal when it’s splayed on a beach. Although they’re beautiful to look at, a man o’ war’s presence is a double-edged sword.
“Steer clear of them,” Weeks warned.
Even dead on shore, a man o’ war’s sting is excruciating. If stung, the Shore Beach Service on Hilton Head Island, says soak the affected area in hot water and seek further medical attention.
On Wednesday, the service posted a photo of an overflowing 10-quart bucket of vicious animals, almost resembling bloated water balloons. The service said it’d seen “dozens” washed up on the beach that day. However, this is not out of the ordinary for the South Carolina coast.
Weeks said the Grand Strand had similar reports this week of the washed up species. During the winter months, the currents bring men o’ war to South Carolina’s beaches. And typically, when they’re stranded on shore, men o’ war are found in large groups, Weeks said.
Sub-tropical and tropical animals, men o’ war can float in legions of 1,000 or more, according to NOAA. Their tentacles, which are multiple feet long, contain stinging nematocysts, which are microscopic capsules with coiled, barbed tubes carrying venom that can paralyze and kill small fish and crustaceans.
While rarely deadly to humans, it’s not worth it to mess with the beached animals.
Weeks said to make lifeguards or shore patrol aware of a man o’ war spotting. And the Shore Beach Service reassured that it was safely scooping up the creatures and burying the ones found on beaches.
This story was originally published December 15, 2022 at 1:11 PM.
