The Portuguese Man O' War (Physalia physalis) are often seen during the spring and early summer, floating in Bermuda's waters and washing up on the shores. The Man O' War is often mistaken as a jellyfish, but is actually a colony of four types of polyps, each with its own specialized roles. The tentacles (up to 10m / 30ft long) are individual polyps with poison-filled nematocysts to stun and kill small sea creatures. The sting from the tentacles is potentially dangerous to humans, but usually only cause intense pain.

Detached tentacles in the water and on the shore can sting just as painfully. The best treatment is to wash off the area with cold water and gently remove any remaining tentacles (which can still fire off poison if rubbed). Cool the area with ice and the pain should decrease and vanish after 30 to 60 minutes. Since they are often mistaken as jellyfish, which have a different type of poison, incorrect treatment of sting like using vinegar / urine / ammonia have often been suggested (like The Royal Gazette's Bermuda Online website) which will only cause the sting to become more painful.

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Photo © 2008 by George Lin