Man-of-war warning to swimmers and surfers

SWIMMERS, surfers and all sea-goers along the West coast have again been warned to be wary of the jellyfish like creatures called Portuguese man-of-war, whose stings are very painful and occasionally fatal.

Mild maritime air from the south and the absence of cooler currents from the north have encouraged the arrival of hordes of Portuguese man-of-war species to waters off the West coast.

Although it has ‘the look’ of a jellyfish, the Portuguese man-of-war is what’s known as a siphonophore – an animal made up of a colony of organisms working together.

One of the problems with the species is that detached or dead tentacles from the organism still remain poisonous when humans or other animals make contact with them

Irish Water Safety have asked everyone ‘taking to the water’ to keep a ‘vigilant eye’ out for the creatures whose tentacles can extend up to over 10 metres – in cases their strong sting can lead to anaphylactic shock seizures and occasional cases death.

“Authorities from Cork, Kerry, Clare, Galway, Mayo and Donegal have reported them on their shores mainly in south and south-west facing bays,” said John Leech of Irish Water Safety.

For more on this story, see the Connacht Tribune.