Deadly jellyfish-like sea creature s have been spotted on Irish beaches and parents have been warned to keep children or dogs away from their fatal sting.
Portuguese man o' war have washed up on beaches and been spotted in popular tourist spots such as Lahinch in County Clare, western Ireland.
The creatures have very similar appearances to jellyfish but are a species of marine organism in the siphonophore group, meaning they are made up of a colony of organisms working together.
Man o'war can cause painful stings if people come in contact with their tentacles and some reactions to the sting can be fatal, so parents have been warned to keep their children or dogs away from them.
The long, thin tentacles are the creature's second organism and can extend to as much as 165 feet in length below the water's surface, though National Geographic reports 30 feet is more the average.
Sightings have been reported at Fanore, Lahinch, Doughmore, Doonbeg and Kilkee beaches, according to RTÉ.
They have been spotted before but this is much earlier in the year than usual.
Clare McGrath, Co Clare water safety officer confirmed the sightings and said a few get washed in every year and that they are quite small creatures.
She said that lifeguards have been told to keep an eye out for them and to safely remove them.
McGrath also appealed to people to be informed and vigilant about touching them.
If the public spots them they should find and inform the nearest lifeguard.
She told RTÉ: "I'd be more worried about children and pets who are very curious and who are walking on the beach."
The water safety officer said they are very distinctive with a "bluish balloon-like float" on their bodies.
Because of their dream-like appearance, children may be fascinated by them and might poke them, she continued.
In the event of a sting, people should remove or scrape the tentacles with something like a credit card and clean their skin with seawater to flush out the toxins.
Recommendations of dousing the sting in urine or vinegar is a “myth” that does not work, Ms McGrath said.
There was also a sighting in Northern Ireland last month on the West Strand beach in Portrush, County Antrim.
Biodiversity Ireland tweeted: "Portuguese Man O'War tops the species list for 'Explore Your Shore' with the 'Big Jellyfish Hunt.' We have very few records of this species prior to 2016 suggesting changing climate is a big factor in the increase in their records."
