Community Corner
Portuguese Man O' War Washes Up On Long Beach Island
The Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol found a Portuguese man o' war over the weekend and experts say it's probably not an isolated incident.
by Patricia A. Miller
The periwinkle-blue blob that washed up on a Harvey Cedars beach recently is colorful, but dangerous.
The Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol found a Portuguese man o’ war washed up on the beach over the weekend, according to the patrol’s Facebook page.
Find out what's happening in Barnegat-Manahawkinfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
“When the wind is coming from the northeast, warm water from the Gulf Stream comes to shore,” the post states. “With the warm water, often comes seaweed and critters from down south. Always be aware of your surroundings in the ocean and always swim near a lifeguard.”
Portuguese Man O’ Wars are covered with venom-filled nematocysts that can paralyze fish and other small creatures, according to Nationalgeographic.com
Find out what's happening in Barnegat-Manahawkinfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
“For humans, a man-of-war sting is excruciatingly painful, but rarely deadly,” according to the website. “But beware—even dead man-of-wars washed up on shore can deliver a sting.”
According to NBC10, some experts believe it’s very likely that more Portuguese man o’ war will show up on New Jersey beaches in the next week.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
