Beware of the Portuguese Man-of-War Washed Ashore

A beautiful purple creature called a Portuguese man-of-war, may wash ashore, but it’s important to avoid touching it—and don’t try licking it! An influencer once made the mistake of licking these venomous “cute” creatures, with serious consequences.

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By   Diego Rego Monteiro  –   Own work ,   CC BY-SA 3.0,   Link

As striking as the purple and blue hues of the Portuguese man-of-war may be, these creatures pose a significant threat to human health. It looks like a floating bubble with blue or purple hues and long, dark purple tentacles trailing beneath it.

It’s these tentacles that carry the danger. They are filled with venom, capable of delivering a painful and potentially dangerous sting. Even if these creatures wash up on the shore and appear dead, avoid them, as their venomous sting remains active for days after.

A sting from this seemingly innocent creature can result in cardiac issues, fever, shock, painful red welts, difficulty breathing, paralysis, and in rare cases, death.