Poisonous, balloon-like creatures attack British coast.

The Portuguese Man of War, a highly venomous creature that can be deadly, is frequently seen on the British coast.

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) announced yesterday that a large number of Portuguese Man of War, a venomous, jellyfish-like creature, have washed ashore on the coasts of Cornwall and the Scilly Islands, The Sun reported.

The Portuguese Man of War (scientific name: Physalia physalis) is not a single species but a colony of many small individuals called hydroids. Their tentacles carry a highly potent toxin that can cause intense pain and even death.

The venomous tentacles of the Portuguese Man of War can cause intense pain if touched. Photo: Peter Soper.

Delia Webb, a volunteer with the environmental group Friends of Portheras, found the creature among a pile of plastic while cleaning the beach at Portheras Cove, Cornwall.

"They were beautiful with streaks of pink and blue. Luckily, we knew about the danger behind that beauty so we didn't touch them. Afterwards, we reported it to MCS," Delia said.

On September 22, MCS issued a warning not to touch Portuguese Man of War after receiving information about their appearance.

"Over the past few weeks, we've received numerous reports of Portuguese Man of War beached on shores around Cornwall and the Scilly Islands. To children, a beached Portuguese Man of War looks like a deflated balloon. If you plan on going to the Cornish coast this week, make sure you can identify them and don't touch them," warned Dr. Peter Richardson of the British Marine Conservation Society.

According to VNE