The main reason I moved from the midwest to south Texas is the weather and the beaches. My family and I try to go to the beach every chance we get. I love to walk along the water's edge and see what treasures I can find washing up.
One of the first things I was taught about the beach is to watch where you are walking. You don't want to step on a sharp shell, a piece of broken glass, a crab or other miscellaneous items that may have washed up. The #1 thing I am always scanning the beach for is those pretty blue balloon looking creatures.
The
Portuguese Man O' War wash up near the surf of our Texas beaches quite often. Step on one and you will be in a lot of pain. I always thought the man o' war was a jellyfish, but it is not. First of all, the man o' war is not a
it at all, but in fact a they. The Portuguese man-of-war is a siphonophore, an animal made up of a colony of organisms working together. Man o' wars are also known as bluebottles for their purple-blue color.
The tentacles average about 30 feet in length and are covered in venom used to paralyze and kill fish and other small creatures. For humans, a man-of-war sting is excruciatingly painful, but rarely
deadly. Even dead man-of-wars washed up on shore can deliver a
sting.
To treat a
man o' war sting, apply salt water. Freshwater will just make it worse. Then apply hot water which eases the pain. Also
do not use vinegar.
So when you see one of these lying on the beach, do not touch it, poke it or go near it. It is much easier to walk around it.
I snapped a picture of a man o' war on my beach along with a few other pictures. Enjoy the beach, have fun and be safe.
