SAFETY advice has been issued after a jellyfish-like creature with a powerful sting was found washed up on the beach in St Ouen’s Bay.
The Portuguese man o’ war – which looks like a half-deflated balloon and is commonly found in the Caribbean – can deliver a sting lasting at least 20 minutes.
Islanders are being urged not to touch them, and to report any sightings to the Environment Department.
Anyone stung is advised to rinse the area with sea water, remove any spines from the skin using tweezers or the edge of something such as a bank card, and immerse the affected skin in hot water for at least 30 minutes.
The government says that anyone who suffers symptoms for more than a few hours should visit their GP, or phone 999 in the case of an emergency.
Islanders are being urged not to urinate on a sting (it is a myth that this can ease the pain), nor put vinegar or an ice pack on it. People should also not touch the spines with their bare hands.
Although the Portuguese man o’ war looks like a jellyfish, it is actually a marine hydrozoan – a class of individually very small, predatory animals.
It cannot propel itself through the water and instead relies on the wind and currents to move it through the sea.
The creature got its fearsome-sounding name because its air sack resembles the triangular sails of the Portuguese caravels of the 15th and 16th centuries.
Islanders are asked to report any sightings to Environment and Consumer Protection on 445808 or email environmentalhealth@gov.je.
