A LOCAL marine expert has warned that Portuguese men-of-war could wash up on South Hams beaches in the coming weeks.

The Marine Conservation Society have received reports of the species washing up on beaches in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. And Maya Plass, a local marine and coastal ecologist said: ‘In the past, when they’ve washed up in Cornwall, they tend to wash up in the South Hams shortly afterwards.

‘They aren’t a jellyfish, but are a siphonophore - a colony of tiny creatures living together. Their stinging cells retract and contract, and once dead can still give a nasty sting. They drift around oceanic currents, and are very common off the coast of southern Africa.’

Maya continued: ‘I’ve seen them at South Milton Sands in the past. They’re very pretty, especially the bright blue sail part that floats out of the water like a bubblegum balloon. They’re beautiful creatures, but have a nasty sting.’

Stings can be exceptionally painful and in extreme cases fatal. And the MCS says the Portuguese man-of-war are only occasionally reported in UK waters, with the last significant UK strandings of the species occurring in 2009 and 2012.

Dr Peter Richardson, head of the MCS biodiversity programme said: ‘We don’t receive reports of Portuguese man-of-war every year, but when we do they can turn up in big numbers, usually around about this time of year.

‘In the last couple of weeks we’ve received several confirmed reports of Portuguese man-of-war stranded on beaches around Cornwall and the Scilly Isles. With the earlier strandings in Ireland, these recent sightings could herald the arrival of more of the creatures as they get blown in from the Atlantic.

Dr Richardson added: ‘It’s the tentacle-like polyps that can give an agonising and potentially lethal sting. Because a stranded Portuguese man-of-war looks a bit like a deflating purple balloon with blue ribbons attached, children will find it fascinating. So, if you’re visiting a beach this weekend, it’s well worth making sure you know what these animals look like and that no one picks them up. We’d like people to report any sightings of Portuguese Man-of-War to our website so we get a better idea of the extent of the strandings.’

If you spot a Portuguese man-of-war then report the sighting immediately, ideally with a picture to www.mcsuk.org, where a Jellyfish ID Guide including the Portuguese man-of-war can also be downloaded.