160 Stung By Portuguese Man-of-Wars
29 mar 2007 | Source: DiveSter
Recently, we told you about blue bottle jellyfish -- a.k.a., Portuguese Man-of-Wars -- washing up on Florida's beaches. This weekend, more than 160 beach-goers in southern Australia were stung after the jellies washed ashore on seven different beaches.

According to Gold Coast Duty Officer Kevin Dunn, "They are an amazing little creature, they are only about the size of a tea cup, sometimes a little larger, but some of their stingers run up to three meters long.'' Though blue bottles look like processed packing material -- if you don't believe me, check out Cork's excellent photo of the buggers -- victims can suffer serious allergic reactions from the venom.

Interestingly, although treating most jellyfish stings with hot water seems to be the recommended course of action, if stung by a blue bottle jellyfish, you're advised to treat it by applying ice. Why does life have to be so hard?

[Via Swim At Your Own Risk]




Recent News: