Portuguese man-of-wars have reared their blue balloon bodies at South Beach in Edgartown, resulting in one report of a swimmer stung, and warning signs being placed at all beach entrances.
“They are there today, and they are very evident,” Edgartown parks administrator Marilyn Wortman said of the man-of-wars.
A young boy was stung at South Beach on Tuesday, she said, and transported to the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital for medical attention. He was ultimately OK.
Their stings are paralyzing, Ms. Wortman said, though they won’t kill you. They do leave a nasty welt, however, and she recommends medical attention after contact.
Lifeguards at South Beach are trained to remove man-of-wars that wash up on the beach by scooping them into areas where beachgoers are not allowed to go, such as the dunes.
Winds, currents, and the animals’ primitive propulsion system bring the man-of-wars to Island beaches.
“We haven’t had any for several years,” Ms. Wortman said.
Ms. Wortman expects that the man-of-wars are present at other nearby beaches, but The Times was unable to confirm this as of Wednesday afternoon.
The animal’s tentacles, which can grow to be 40 feet long, are used to secure small fish for food, and can inflict nasty welts on any swimmer unlucky enough to encounter one in the water.
The tentacles contain thousands of stinging cells, each of which is essentially a microscopic, coiled-up harpoon.
Experts say the best advice is to steer clear of Portuguese man-of-wars in the water and on the beach.