It’s Back: Highly Dangerous Portuguese Man O’ War Spotted In Gozo
As if carpets and waves of jellyfish washing up all over Maltese shores weren’t already enough, the monstrous Portuguese man o’ war has been spotted in Wied l-Għasri in Gozo. The feared jellyfish was noticed after the Spot the Jellyfish campaign received an alert from Danica Bonello Spiteri.
“The species, which is not a true jellyfish but rather a siphonophore colony of four different types of polyps known as ‘zooids’, is only rarely observed within Maltese coastal waters, with the campaign recording it less than ten times since August 2009. Most of the previous sightings were made along the western and north-western shores of the islands,” said Professor Alan Deidun.
The professor warned the species should not be touched under any circumstances. They can inflict seriously painful stings, and the venom in a detached tentacle or even a dead jellyfish can remain painfully active for days.
If you get stung by a Portuguese man o’ war
Applying vinegar or alcohol can actually intensify the pain sensation as it triggers the firing of further stinging cells. The best treatment would be to apply hot packs or immerse the stung part in hot water immersion, as you can see by following this link.
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