Dangerous Jellyfish Washes Ashore in New Jersey
LONG BEACH ISLAND, N.J., June 23 (UPI) — The dangerous Portuguese man o’ war is rare in New Jersey waters, but on June 21, the highly venomous jellyfish was found on Long Beach Island’s Harvey Cedars Beach.
The creature, colored a brilliant purple and blue, was spotted by beach patrol on Sunday, just a few days after the remnants of Tropical Storm Bill churned up water and wind off the Mid-Atlantic coast.
Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol issued a statement on Facebook warning beachgoers to keep an eye for other unusual warm-water marine wildlife that may have been blown westward by the winds.
“When the wind is coming from the northeast, warm water from the Gulf Stream comes to shore,” officials said. “With the warm water, often comes seaweed and critters from down south. Always be aware of your surroundings in the ocean and always swim near a lifeguard.”
Portuguese man o’ war boast venom-filled tentacles that typically stretch several feet in length. Though rarely deadly, the jellyfish’s sting is immensely painful, causing headaches, chest pain, nausea and more.
“It can shut down the nervous system or cause a severe loss in breathing capacity,” Paul Bologna, director of the Marine Biology and Coastal Sciences program at Montclair State University, told local paper The Sandpiper.
While most sting symptoms subside within 20 minutes, victims who are allergic to the venom may be susceptible to graver consequences.
“The man o’ war releases these neurotoxins on its prey so it can feed on them. If one washes up on the beach, people should not touch them because even if they’re dead, its stinging cells can still be active,” Bologna added. “Beach patrols should make sure that if someone gets stung, they get immediate medical attention.”
