Cast ashore, 31 August 2022

Cast ashore, 31 August 2022

While I was swimming in the warm water, about 10m away this amazing creature was being washed up onto the beach. We thought it was a dead fish next to a plastic bag at first, but closer inspection showed it to be a beautiful Portuguese Man o'War.

A few times a wave caught the creature and we thought it would be safely returned to the sea, but another wave would come in and strand it on the beach again.

We were careful not to touch it, mind. These things can be lethal to humans and, according to the local 'Baywatch' who eventually took it away, the long purple tentacles can be venomous several hours after death.

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