Portuguese Man O' War Spotted in Long Beach

Fire Island, Jones Beach, and now Long Beach have now reported sightings of the Portuguese Man O’ War.

The jellyfish-like hydrozoan washed up on the ocean side of Long Beach near Grand Boulevard, according to Project 11561’s Facebook page.

Long Beach joins multiple other locations on Long Island and along the eastern seaboard to report sightings of the creature, which is highly venomous and causes intensely painful reactions in humans.

On Tuesday, two children were stung by Portuguese Man O’ War at two beaches on Fire Island. A 4-year-old was stung at Davis Park while a 7-year-old was hospitalized after being stung in Kismet, according to Suffolk County Police.

On Wednesday, three Portuguese Man O’ War were spotted by a visitor at Jones Beach, National Parks Service officials confirmed.

Portuguese Man O’ War have long stinging tentacles that are used to paralyze other small creatures. They are common in the open ocean in more tropical waters and are rare on Long Island.

While they are rarely fatal to humans, stings from Portuguese Man O’ War can produce allergic reactions and are highly painful. Stings can happen even after the animal has died, officials said.

“Beach goers should be vigilant,” said Fire Island National Seashore Chief Law Enforcement Ranger John Stewart in a statement last week. “If visitors observe a Portuguese Man O’ War on Fire Island, they should alert lifeguards, park rangers, or law enforcement officers.”

Several other East Coast locations have reported sightings of Portuguese Man O’ War, which may be floating closer to our area because of warmer waters and winds, scientists say. Dozens washed up on the Jersey Shore last month in addition to the incidents on Fire Island.

Image via Project 11561