Jellyfish warning as Portuguese Man O’War washes up on Devon beach

The jellyfish tends to appear on British shores during the autumn months

The Portuguese Man O’War sting can be ‘very, very painful’ and sometimes ‘fatal’ to dogs if ingested (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Beachgoers in the southwest of the UK are being warned against deadly jellyfish which have been washed up on British beaches this winter.

The Portuguese Man O’War was sighted on Slapton Sands and Lannacombe Beach, Devon. The jellyfish tend to be blown into the UK seas via westerly winds and are commonly found on the west coast, mainly on the shores of the Isle of Scilly and Cornwall. They can also make it as far as North Wales and Cumbria.

Coastguard volunteer, David Bailey found a few while walking on Slapton Sands on Sunday, and described their sting as “very, very painful”.

Dartmouth Coastguard Rescue Team put out a warning after the marine hydrozoans were spotted at Slapton Sands and Lannacombe Beach.

It advised keeping dogs on leads as the sting can be “toxic” and “in some cases fatal if ingested”.

“These give a very nasty sting that lingers, it can sting even when dead on the beach”, said the coastguard team.

Mr Bailey said the creatures are not commonly seen on the British coastline in the winter.

They come from warmer climates in the Atlantic, but as a result of southwesterly winds and a mild winter “they’ve floated up and ended up in the channel”.

“It’s a very stunning creature and... in warmer climates the tentacles can grow up to about 50cm in length.”

The Coastguard volunteer said he had not been stung himself, but explained the pain can last up to six hours.

People should “look where you’re sitting” on the beach, said Mr Bailey, who explained that they can often be found within seaweed at the high tide mark.

But he said the coastguard does not get that many reports of people being stung and it “shouldn’t put you off going to the beach”.

The Portuguese Man O’War is more likely to wash up on British shores during the autumn months. Yet they have been appearing in increasing numbers at odd times of the year due to warming sea temperatures and climate change, as well as overfishing of their natural predators – tuna and sailfish.