Portuguese man o’ war invasion continues as stunned beachwalkers find deadly animals as big as a mobile phone washed up
AN invasion of deadly Portuguese man o' war continues with new pictures of thousands of them washed up on Britain's coast.
Beachgoers have been warned to watch their step and keep kids well away from the eerie purple-and-blue sea creatures, whose tentacles can deliver a fatal sting.
Experts say the jellyfish-like menaces — known as the floating terror — are arriving in unprecedented numbers thanks to strong westerly winds over the Atlantic.
The tourist beach at Perranporth in Cornwall was temporarily closed last week after hundreds washed up in a single day.
More have been spotted on beaches across in Devon and Cornwall. There have also been sightings in Pembrokeshire in Wales.
The balloon-like sail on top of the main body is as big as a smartphone or a Cornish pasty — but the tentacles can stretch for up to 50 yards.
Photographer Mark Humpage took these latest pictures at Mexico Towans, near St Ives, where families with kids paddled in the sea close to hundreds of beached man o' war.
He said: "Amazingly Mexico Towans beach remains open.
";The golden sands are littered with these deadly creatures — there must be thousands on the entire beach.
"Families, children, locals and dog owners continue to use the beach and wander past these deadly creatures, oblivious to their fatal potential."
Hundreds more Portuguese man o'war washed up on another nearby beach in just three days over the weekend.
Volunteer conservation group Friends of Portheras Cove recorded 493 over Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The group said on its Facebook page: "Apologies for those who are fed up with posts about the Portuguese man o' war strandings but since Portheras has seen unprecedented numbers over the past three days we felt it necessary to share this with you all.
"And remember — don't touch any you find, admire from a distance as they can still sting even when stranded."
Dr Peter Richardson of the Marine Conservation Society said the arrival of so many was very exciting — but warned the public not to keep clear.
He said in a tweet: "Wow! Haven't seen anything like this in 15yrs of the MCSUK National Jellyfish Survey — PHENOMENAL".
The scientist added: "Because a stranded Portuguese Man o' war looks a bit like a deflating purple balloon with blue ribbons attached, children will find it fascinating.
"If you're visiting west coast beaches in the next few weeks it's well worth making sure you know what these animals look like and that no one picks them up.
"The stings can be unbelievably painful and in rare cases, fatal.
"We'd like people to report any sightings of Portuguese man o' war to our website so we get a better idea of the extent of the strandings".
Portuguese man o' war (Physalia physalis) are not true jellyfish but siphonophores, colonies of specialised small organisms that cannot exist independently and work together to function like individual animals.
They get their name from the balloon-like "sail" that floats above the water, which was said to resemble a type of 18th century warship.
They are only occasionally reported in UK waters, but this is the second consecutive year they have turned up in numbers.
Last year they were spotted in September on beaches in the South West, with significant strandings before then in 2012 and 2009.
This week the Cornwall Wildlife Trust said there had been 144 sightings in just three days, beating the previous record of 40 across the whole of 2009.
The trust's Matt Slater said: "This is an unprecedented event and we urge the public to be cautious and to keep an eye out for unusual species being stranded."
It comes after authorities in Ireland warned about a spate of sightings of the potentially lethal creature.
Stings cause severe pain and leave bright red whip-like welts on the skin for days afterwards — and in some cases can be fatal.
In 2010, 69-year-old Maria Furcas died after being stung on the leg while swimming in Sardinia.
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