Deadly creatures washing up on the Jersey shore
File photo courtesy: Wikipedia
Digital Reporter
Wednesday, July 8, 2015, 3:53 PM - Fourteen deadly Portuguese man o' wars have washed ashore in Harvey Cedars, New Jersey over the past three weeks. Officials believe the jellyfish-like creatures were pushed there by strong winds.
Wildlife officials have issued a warning asking the public to refrain from picking up the jellies.
"Man o' wars are washing up along New Jersey as they ride in along the Gulf Stream," Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol says in a message posted to Facebook on Tuesday.
"... Stay away [and] contact a lifeguard if on duty so we can safely remove them."
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The Portuguese man o' war lives near the ocean surface and, while it looks like a singular organism, it's comprised of a colony of creatures called zooids that are incapable of living as individuals. While typically found in tropical regions, man o' wars have previously been spotted in the Bay of Fundy.
The highly-venomous creatures have tentacles that can grow up to 9 metres in length and are designed to paralyze, and even kill, small prey.
In humans, the stings can cause intense pain and fever.
Source: Facebook
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