Potentially deadly Portuguese man-of-wars have been found washed up on a popular beach in St Ives, west Cornwall, sparking a genuine scare for holiday-makers and local residents.
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) issued an alert after the find yesterday at Porthmeor Beach, St Ives. The warning comes weeks after a false alarm - fuelled by repeated "sightings" reported in The Sun newspaper - of an alleged great white shark off the Cornish coast that turned out to have been photographed in South Africa.
This time, the threat appears to be real. Man-of-wars are found floating across warm seas throughout the world's oceans. But the creatures are rare in British waters, and an MCS survey has recorded only six sightings since 2003.
Peter Richardson, the species policy officer at the MCS, warned: "Human contact with the tentacles usually results in agonising stings that leave painful lesions and ulcerations. However, there are a few cases on record where Portuguese man-of-war stings have resulted in fatalities.
"Sting victims can suffer intense fever and anaphylactic shock, which can put swimmers and children in particular at risk," he added.
"There is no need to panic about the arrival of this one creature. But beach users, especially those with families, should be aware that these animals can present a serious threat."
Joana Doyle, of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, agreed that there was "no need to panic about the arrival of this one animal". But she said that parents especially should be on alert. "Our volunteers will be looking out for Portuguese man-of-wars on Cornish beaches over the next few days."
Studies in Australia have concluded that the best treatment for man-of-war stings is immersion of the affected area in hot - or warm - water.
Ice packs can also be applied to the stings to reduce swelling and inflammation. Anyone worried about a Portuguese man-of-war sting is advised consult a doctor as soon as possible.
The deputy mayor of St Ives, Colin Sawyer, said the threat should be taken seriously, unlike that of the great whites. "Obviously, where there's one there may be more," he said. "I know they are very dangerous in the water. I would be concerned if there was more than one - that can only be demonstrated in the days and weeks ahead."
But he added that he was confident lifeguards would be able to spot the creatures before they came too close to beach-goers.
Explaining the sightings, Mr Richardson said: "The onshore winds over the weekend will have blown it in from the ocean. It is quite possible that more may wash up on beaches in the South-west as the winds persist."
The Portuguese man-of-war is similar to a jellyfish, but is in fact a floating colony of closely related animals called hydrozoans, normally found at the surface of the ocean. The colony floats from the bottom of an air-filled, pink, blue or purple float, with many long thin tentacles hanging below that it uses to catch fish, and which inflict its very powerful sting.
Anyone who spots one should contact the Marine Strandings Network hotline on 0845 2012626
Source:
http://environment.independent.co.uk...cle2883851.ece
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