Portuguese man o' war spotted on Donegal beach

Image caption, This is what a Portuguese man o' war looks like when it is fully inflated
At a glance
  • There have been previous sightings of the jellyfish-like creature听on beaches in County Clare and County Antrim.
  • The creature can deliver a toxic sting, which can be fatal.
  • Jellyfish are common on Irish beaches but the man o' war is rare in colder North Atlantic waters.
  • The public are being asked to help collect data on the number of sightings on the Irish coast.

Beachgoers are being warned to be careful after a further sighting of the jellyfish-like Portuguese man o' war on a beach in听the Republic of Ireland.

It was washed ashore at Derrybeg beach in County Donegal and follows recent sighting in other parts of the island of Ireland.

A photo of the creature was on Wednesday.

Dr Donal Griffin, of environmental body Fair Seas Ireland, said even when washed up the man o' war's sting "can be quite serious" and urged the public to leave the creatures "well alone".

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Dr Griffin told 91热爆 News NI the creature in the photograph was almost certainly a man o' war.

鈥淵ou can see the gas filled bladder, the colours are right, the tentacles, the way they drape down, are right," he said.

鈥淭hey can be quite exciting to see because they are that little bit more unusual, little bit more exotic."

'Mercy of the winds'

Dr Griffin urged the public to be cautious.

鈥淚n the water their tentacles can be hard to see so swimmers should keep a good distance," he said.

"And even when washed up on the beach, when they are dead or dying, their sting cells can still trigger鈥.

Portuguese man o' war resemble jellyfish but are a species of siphonophore and they can cause painful stings if people come in contact with their tentacles.

They can be fatal for those who may suffer a severe reaction.

It is believed the siphonophore鈥檚 name comes from the shape of the sail which, when it is inflated, looks like an 18th Century Portuguese battle ship.

Last month a man o' war was spotted in Northern Ireland on the West Strand beach in Portrush, while earlier this month sightings were reported on a number of beaches in County Clare in the Republic of Ireland.

Jellyfish are common on Irish beaches but the man o' war is rare in colder North Atlantic waters.

Dr Griffin said their physiology left them 鈥渁t the mercy of the winds and of the tide鈥.

He urged anyone who spots one to report it to the and Recording in Northern Ireland or the in the Republic of Ireland.

听That will help determine if there are more man o' wars in Irish coastal waters than previously thought, he added.

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