VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — The weather for the beach is looking beautiful, but before you get your feet wet lifeguards have a warning. Portuguese Man o' War and other dangerous sea life have been washing on shore and swimmers could get some serious stings.
Wind and surf is stirring things up, stranding the animals up and down the entire length of Volusia County beaches. Portuguese Man o' War have a mass of tentacles up front and then one giant, long tentacle that extends about two to three feet out the back.
Dangerous marine life warning flags were posted at beach ramps and lifeguards stocked towers with vinegar after the animals started washing up. The Portuguese Man o' War packs a painful, sometimes dangerous sting, usually far more severe than the average run-in with a jellyfish.
Most of the tourists on the beach on a blustery weekday, though, didn't know what they were or even if they should stay away from them.
"Maybe I'll get my toes wet. I don't know if I'll go into the waves. I'll see," tourist Jessica Dirksen said.
"Yeah, I'd go in. I'm from Minnesota. It's the ocean. I better jump in," another tourist said.
Not all the animals washing up are especially dangerous though. Large moon jellyfish that washed up aren't much of a hazard, and a jellyfish called the "By-The-Wind Sailor" looks like the Portuguese Man o' War, but causes just a mild tingling. It can be hard to tell the two apart.
The surf and the tides are alternately stranding more of the animals on the beach and then pulling them back into the ocean. Beach Patrol said it will probably continue until they see a significant change in the wind and the waves.
WFTV
