The start of another beach season in North Carolina has ushered another timely visit from the Portuguese man o’ war, a predatory creature found in the Atlantic, but not as prevalent as its close relative, the jellyfish. Over the last weekend, officials at Cape Lookout National Seashore spotted more than one Portuguese man o war stranded on the sand by the receding tidewater.

Beach goers are warned to stay far, far away from any of these creatures, which have the ability to inflict a very painful (even deadly) sting — even weeks after the man o' war has died.
Wikipedia/Volkan Yuksel
What's more, they can be found in a number of shapes and colors.
Facebook/Cape Lookout National Seashore/NPS photo - Kevin Knight
In this photo from Cape Lookout, a Blue Bottle Portuguese Man O' War was snapped by a National Park Service employee in early May 2020.
From atop the water, the gelatinous appearance of the man o' war may fool you into thinking the creature is a jellyfish. It also floats and bobs on the water's surface, much like a jellyfish.
Stephen Frink / The Image Bank Collection via Getty Images
But below the surface lurk dozens of tentacles that can be as along as 100 feet.

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Those long tentacles are precisely why you should steer very clear of any Portuguese man o' war, especially if it's seen in the water.
YouTube/Nat Geo WILD
The tentacles are constantly moving underneath the water in search of prey. Whatever they come into contact with suffers a venomous sting that's powerful enough to paralyze even large fish.
When the tentacles come into contact with human flesh, the resulting sting is quite painful and the results can be felt and seen for days.
Flickr/ulalume
In this photo, the arm of a child has come into contact with a Portuguese man o' war. The image you see here was taken the following day.
It's said the stings from a Portuguese man o' war have the ability to kill a small child, especially if the tentacles wrap completely around the child's torso.
Flickr/Olaf Gradin
For certain, any sightings of the Portuguese man o' war are not to be taken lightly.
Wikipedia/Islands in the Sea 2002, NOAA/OER. - U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Proceed with caution around creatures you may find in the sand, and consider packing up your gear and leaving the beach entirely if you spot even a single one in the water.

Learn more about this fascinating and sometimes deadly creature in the following YouTube video from Nat Geo WILD:

Before heading out to the beach for the day, consider checking local beach reports for Portuguese man ‘o war sightings. If you suffer a sting, seek medical assistance for your wounds.

Have you ever encountered a Portuguese man o’ war on the North Carolina coast? Tell us in the comments.

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