Paul Snelgrove, a professor of ocean science and biology at Memorial University, says it's not unheard-of to spot a man-of-war in Newfoundland - but the numbers being seen in Point Lance are unusual. Their venomous tentacles are used to paralyze prey and suck in small fish, plankton and crustaceans.ĭr. People in Point Lance say they've never seen them before.ĭespite their appearance, they are not technically jellyfish, and they are carnivorous. The Portuguese man-of-war can be up to a foot long, and delivers a powerful sting that on rare occasions has killed people. The jellyfish-like creatures have created quite a stir on the southern Avalon in recent weeks. 'I didn't count, but I would say near 40 dead Portuguese man-of-wars,' she said. But it was the brightly coloured, squishy creatures that she was trying her hardest to avoid. When Chantel Nash went for a walk along the shoreline earlier this week, she found about 10 dead birds - mostly gannets, suspected to be infected with the bird flu that's swept the province this summer. But the beach has seen some foreboding signs this summer. The mile-stretch of sandy beach is a hidden gem on Newfoundland's southern Avalon Peninsula, loved by locals and often enjoyed by tourists on their way to the nearby Cape St. Click here for today's surf report.Between the dead birds and sometimes-deadly sea creatures, it's been a strange summer at the beach in Point Lance. For those who want to check conditions in advance of a trip to the beach, East Hampton Town lifeguards post surf conditions daily on their web page. 'We always recommend people review the rip current information posted at our beaches. Smith said the village lifeguards had seen an increased number of saves early in the season. More dangerous than the man-o-war, and far more common, are the rip currents that have plagued the beaches in the past week, leading to three straight days of red flags earlier in the week. and have a higher medical authority take a look.' 'With a man-o-war sting, we'd probably contact E.M.S. 'Depending on the species, they can deliver quite a shock,' said Mr. You generally don't see it you feel this sting.' In the surf they can break apart, but those tentacles still fire. If a tentacle hits your leg, you'll feel it. 'If they're on the beach, then they're in the water,' said Mr. None had been reported at a village beach yet. 'We go down with a shovel and remove them,' he said.

He said if beachgoers spot one they should stay away and alert a lifeguard. 'We typically get them in August,' said Mr. Neither he, nor Drew Smith, the head lifeguard for East Hampton Village, had ever been stung by one. Vinegar and water, as hot as you can stand it. The treatment for a regular jellyfish sting is the same. They're for people who got stung,' he said The lifeguards have solar showers, big black bags that heat up the water inside, hanging from the lifeguard stands. It was like they were pulling at an invisible string. 'I remember someone pulling a tentacle from their face once. 'They're hard to see because they're clear,' said Mr. Then you need to immerse the area in hot water for 20 minutes, to remove the tentacles.' If you get stung, you want to rinse it for 30 seconds with vinegar. We have spray bottles of diluted vinegar. We haven't received any reports of people getting stung yet, but certainly we're ready to deal with that. 'When we get storms like that, it can push them up into our waters or onto the beach. Ryan says the strong south swells associated with storms that passed south of Long Island this week, could be responsible for their unwelcome entrance just before the holiday weekend. They are uncommon here this early in the season, but Mr. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, while they look similar to jellyfish, man-o-wars are instead 'a species of siphonophore, a group of animals that are closely related to jellyfish.'

'I call them sea pests,' John Ryan Jr., the head lifeguard for East Hampton Town, said by phone on Thursday. Portuguese man-o-wars sport a transparent float that looks like a clear dumpling or empanada, below which dangle long stinging tentacles that can grow anywhere from 30 to 100 feet long.

Small creatures with a big sting, Portuguese man-o-wars, have been washing ashore along South Fork beaches this week.

Man of war jellyfish on beach