Venomous balloon-like creatures hit UK coast

The Portuguese Man of War, a highly venomous and potentially deadly creature, is found on British beaches.

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) announced that a large number of Portuguese Man of War, a venomous creature that looks like a jellyfish, has just washed up on the coast of Cornwall, England and the Isles of Scilly, The Sun reported yesterday.

The Portuguese Man of War (Physalia physalis) is not a single species, but a colony of many small individuals called hydras. Their tentacles are highly toxic and can cause severe pain and even death.

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

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

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

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

"Over the past few weeks we have had a number of reports of Portuguese Man of War washing up on beaches around Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. To children, a stranded Portuguese Man of War looks like a deflated balloon. If you are planning to go to Cornish beaches this week, make sure you can recognise them and avoid touching them," warned Dr Peter Richardson, of the British Marine Conservation Society.

According to VNE