Officials will continue monitoring all ocean beaches for signs of them. If beachgoers find what they believe is a man-of-war, avoid touching them and report them to beach staff.ĭEM staff will remove them to prevent beachgoers from getting stung, as nematocysts can still sting even after death. The seashore posted on May 2 the first Portuguese man-o-war of the season had been observed and photographed, showing a tendril, or group of tentacles training in the sand, with a capability to sting anyone who stepped on it. (Kristy Legge) Kristy Legges daughter Maria was swimming at Lawrencetown. Once the man-of-war enters the surf zone, the tentacles can break apart and sting even while unattached. Kristy Legge took this photo of the Portuguese man-of-war that stung her daughter, Maria, at Lawrencetown Beach on Sunday. The tentacles can still sting days or weeks after washing ashore and even after. The sting from its tentacles, which average 30 feet in length, is rarely deadly to people, but it can leave a painful welt. They "contain stinging nematocysts, microscopic capsules loaded with coiled, barbed tubes that deliver venom capable of paralyzing and killing small fish and crustaceans," according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The man-of-war gets its name from its frill-topped float, which when expanded resembles an 18 th century Portuguese warship under full sail. MORE NEWS: Raw sewage backs up into Pawtucket homes.The jellyfish-like sea creatures with long tentacles and a painful sting are likely coming up on the Gulf Stream from southern waters and being brought to shore by southerly winds. Officials are advising swimmers to look out for balloon-like objects floating on top of the water. Purple flags will be flying at Scarborough State Beach, Roger Wheeler State Beach, and East Matunuck State Beach. And were venomous.) At the mercy of winds and currents, many Portuguese man-of-wars wash ashore, like this one on the Canary Islands. The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management on Tuesday warned beachgoers about Portuguese man-of-war sightings at several Rhode Island beaches.
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