Portuguese Man-O-Wars Washing Up On SC Beaches

CHARLOTTE, NC — After bears hit the beach in North Carolina just in time for Memorial Day, another potentially dangerous creature is washing up along Carolina beaches, just as summer kicks off. Venomous Portuguese Man-O-Wars are washing up along South Carolina beaches as far north as Myrtle Beach, according to the city’s fire rescue team.

“If you see these creatures lying on the beach please do not touch them,” Myrtle Beach Fire Rescue said in a warning on its Facebook page May 31. Beachgoers who find one should also notify lifeguard services or beach patrol so they can dispose of it, the warning said.

SEE ALSO: Memorial Day 2018: Tourists, Bears Head To NC Beach. Yes, Bears.

The sightings in Myrtle Beach come about a month after the siphonophores that look a lot like jellyfish were spotted further south on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina beaches.

Man-O-Wars get their name from their shape, which closely resembles a Portuguese warship under full sail, according to the National Ocean Service. They have a balloon-like float that pokes up out of the water up to six inches, but below the waterline are long tentacles that can measure up to 30 feet long, and extend up to 100 feet. The venom in those tentacles can paralyze small fish and is extremely painful for humans.

Those found on the beach can be just as dangerous as those in the water, according to the Ocean Service, which warns, “The stalwart man o’ war may still sting you even weeks after having washed ashore.”

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Photo courtesy of the National Ocean Service