If you see this attractive thing at the beach, DO NOT TOUCH IT or go near it!

Mother Nature has a very weird sense of humor when it comes to making things that look attractive and are dangerous. You must know the saying about animals that the more attractive they are, the more deadly they come out to be.

There are many examples of attractive but deadly animals like Wolverine, Jellyfish, Poison dart frog, Swan and many more animals that could kill you either with their cuteness or because they are just deadly. One such aquatic animal has been seen on the beaches of many countries worldwide and there has been warnings put out, that under no circumstances you should go near it.

We have all the information about what that thing is and why you should not venture near it.

1What is that thing?

Beaches are places where people go to unwind themselves and enjoy some peaceful time under the sun and in the water. But what happens when the beaches become terrorized by something that is attractive and deadly at the same time.

Beaches in England and some other parts of the world are being plagued with a genuinely dangerous problem of encroachment by a very deadly species of fish. Suitably named the ‘Portuguese man o’ war’, a species of jellyfish has been encroaching on the beaches of England in hundreds of numbers. The creatures which are known as siphonophores are organisms that rely on one another for survival and are found in surface of water. They are known for their deadly stings.

Image Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

2Why is it coming on the beaches?

Most of the time, these Portuguese man o’ war live in the ocean on the surface, but sometimes the strong winds causes the current of the water to shift and tides push the colonies of these organisms on to the bays or beaches also. If you find one of these Portuguese man o’ war, be sure to find many other in the nearby vicinity.

If such organisms are found on the beaches, the officials immediately order a complete closure of the whole beach and people are advised not to go near to these organisms because their stings can cause severe discomfort and pain.

Image Source: www.livescience.com

3How dangerous it is?

Portuguese man o’ war have poisonous tentacles, using which they catch their prey in the sea, after paralyzing them. Most of time, their food is small fish and plankton. On humans, their stings can send the body into shock and sometimes causing the heart to stop functioning.

They rarely venture on the land and swimmers who sometimes get stung by them, share that the experience is extremely painful. The venom in their tentacles releases slow poison that causes unbearable pain in the body of the person. It also leaves red colored welts or sting marks on the skin that lasts for up to 2-3 days, and even more actually.

Image Source: www.tampabay.com

How not to get stung by this thing?

If you encounter these devils anywhere on the beach, even one, you should immediately alert the local authorities. First and foremost, you must resist the urge to touch it. If you do touch it, it will wrap around your hand with its tentacles and you will feel immense pain.

Listen to the warnings given by the authorities and lifeguards, as these people are there to help you and keep you safe and sound. If you manage to get stung by one of these creatures, do not pee on it. The whole peeing on the jellyfish sting to make the pain go away is a myth and it might worsen the pain of the sting.

Image Source: www.weebly.com

Immediately go to the nearest emergency medical center, after you remove the tentacles using the sea water or hot water. Most of time the effects of the sting and even the pain goes away in few hours, but if it doesn’t go away, seek further medical attention.