Watch out! Venomous jellyfish wash up on North Myrtle Beach shore
Portuguese man o’ wars — with tentacles that are feet long — are reportedly popping up along Grand Strand beaches.
North Myrtle Beach Ocean Rescue is flying purple flags Thursday afternoon, which indicate dangerous aquatic life in the area. NMB Spokesperson Pat Dowling said two have washed ashore recently, specifically near Cherry Grove Pier and just north of the pier. Lifeguards in the area spotted nearly one hundred in the morning Thursday due to the recent Tropical Storm Bertha, Dowling said.
“People should talk to a lifeguard before entering the ocean water when a purple flag is flying,” Dowling said.
Though the jellyfish washing up are dead, the tentacles can still sting. It’s important to not pick the fish up, Dowling said.
The National Weather Service in Wilmington said multiple lifeguards are reporting man o’ war, a type of jellyfish, in the Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach areas. The NWS warns people to “heed the advice of lifeguards.”
It’s possible some of the jellyfish have tentacles that measure 16-feet-long, the NWS reports. Some of these creatures can have tentacles up to 30-feet-long, according to the NWS.
This story was originally published May 28, 2020 at 1:53 PM.
