This is a pretty horrifying reminder why open water swimming in the ocean can be so dangerous. You can be the strongest swimmer in the world, with plenty of strength to swim several miles. But one wave carrying some nightmare-like wildlife can turn any swim into a deadly situation.
Though Portuguese Man O’ Wars are often thought of as a type of jellyfish, they actually aren’t a part of that family. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), portuguese man o’ wars are a type of siphonophor. Weirdly enough, these rather dangerous creatures are made of a colony of zooids, all genetically identical, that work together to form and function as one.
A Portuguese man o’ war sting is rarely deadly to humans, but a sting can be extremely painful. With pain comes panic, and panic in the ocean can get very dangerous, very quickly.
“I Was spearfishing with a buddy of mine when a wave pushed a Portuguese Man O’ War right over my head. I didn’t even see it, but immediately felt the tentacles on my neck and it sent me into a world of pain. Soon as I lifted my head out of the water I felt it push up against my lips and cheeks and the tentacles latched on to my mask and neck. Luckily my boy managed to grab it off of my face (you can still see it floating in the background) and i was still able to swim to shore where paramedics soon met me and sprayed me down with vinegar. Never dive alone!“
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