When I was a kid my Mom and Dad told me that if I saw what looked like a deflated blue balloon on the beach I should NOT TOUCH it. I of course obeyed without question and went on my merry way. To this day I heed that warning and try to let unsuspecting tourists (especially those with curious children) know the dangers of the Portuguese Man-of-War. They have a very painful sting in their long tentacles.Commonly called a "blue bottle" it is both lovely and bizarre looking. I used to think it was a jellyfish but thanks to National Geographic I've learned it is actually a siphonophore — an animal made up of a colony of organisms working and living in unity. Its upper part is a gas-filled bladder about 12 inches long which floats on the water. The tentacles can extend 30 feet below the surface (some even get to be 165 feet long) and are covered with venom that paralyzes small fish, and can give an excruciating sting for humans even when they are dead and washed up on shore like the ones above. There is an interesting video of a Portuguese Man-of-War on YouTube where you can see how the tentacles attract their prey. Check it out at:
I saw several on my walk this morning and as wary as I am of touching them, I was happily reminded of my childhood on this beach with my parents when life was simple and very good indeed.
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