Beachgoers in Ireland have been issued with another warning to be vigilant after a Portuguese Man O’War jellyfish washed up on a beach in Donegal.
There have been numerous sightings of this particular type of jellyfish nationwide, and the latest glimpse was snapped on the sand on Derrybeg beach.
Experts on the species have said people should stay well back and ensure they don’t touch the creatures that are usually covered in venom-filled nematocysts and can give you a nasty sting.
The nematocysts are used by the Man O’War as a way to paralyse their prey and can cause some serious side effects in humans and can even be fatal for those who suffer a severe reaction.
Dr Donal Griffin from Fair Seas Ireland told BBC News NI that people should leave the creatures “well alone”.
He also said that from the image circulating online, it looks like the Portuguese Man O’War and that people need to keep their distance.
Dr Griffin said: “You can see the gas-filled bladder, the colours are right, the tentacles, the way they drape down, are right.
“They can be quite exciting to see because they are that little bit more unusual, a little bit more exotic.
“And even when washed up on the beach, when they are dead or dying, their sting cells can still trigger”.
Dr Griffin advised anyone who spots the venomous creature to report it to the National Biodiversity Data Centre in the Republic of Ireland.
If you or someone you know gets too close and is stung, you should:
- Remove yourself from the water/vicinity of the jellyfish
- If helping someone else make sure you don’t get stung yourself
- Seek help and advice from lifeguards if you are on a lifeguarded beach
- Try to carefully remove any attached tentacles by
- flushing the sting area with seawater
- removing tentacles with gloved hands, clean stick, tweezers, or scraping gently with the edge of a credit card. Don’t try to rub them off
- Apply a 'dry cold pack' to the area (i.e. place a cold pack or ice inside a plastic bag and then wrap this package in a t-shirt or other piece of cloth)
- Use HOT WATER for Portuguese Man O'War stings at approximately 45° Celsius for 20 minutes
- Keep any puncture wounds clean and dry to avoid them getting infected
Mild symptoms of pain and swelling can be treated with simple painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, and mild itching at the sting site may respond to anti-histamine creams.
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