Invasion of the Portuguese men o’war
SWIMMERS and dogwalkers have been warned to be vigilant after a spate of sightings of the venomous Portuguese man o’ war off the west coast of Scotland.
The jellyfish-like creatures are rarely found in Scottish waters but five have been reported to the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) in the last month on the islands of Coll, Tiree and Cumbrae.
A dead specimen was also found washed up on Nisabost beach on the Isle of Harris on Wednesday.
Other unconfirmed sightings have also been made in the Hebrides but have not yet been formally reported to the MCS, which logs the data for marine research.
The Portuguese man o’ war can deliver an ‘excruciating’ sting, even long after it is dead.
Its translucent purple gas-filled float is usually around 1ft across, but the tentacles can be 65ft long.
Although humans are unlikely to suffer serious illeffects, the poison can kill dogs if it is ingested
The MCS has urged people to be careful if they spot one, as numerous beachings often come in a short space of time, depending on the wind direction.
Amy Pilsbury, citizen science programme developer at the MCS, said: ‘They are rarely seen in Scottish waters. Like many other jellyfish-like species, Portuguese men o’ war aren’t strong swimmers. They have a large float which allows them to travel using currents and winds.
‘Depending on the wind directions, we often have numerous sightings of beached individuals at a similar time.
‘There is always a possibility that the conditions that bought some individuals to our shores will bring more. Be careful, Portuguese men o’ war give quite a sting so it’s best to avoid them, even those which are on the shore.
‘So far in 2022, we have had 45 reports of Portuguese men o’ war in the UK. Five of those were in the last month on Scotland’s West coast, primarily in the Hebrides.’
The MCS has urged people to log any sightings of Portuguese man o’ war or jellyfish on its website.