This morning, a surprising discovery was made on Hove beach: a Portuguese man o’ war, found by Sussex Dolphin Project volunteer Ben Boxer during his beach clean-up. The seafront office has been notified of this rare sighting.
Beachgoers are warned to avoid contact with these creatures, as their sting can be extremely painful. This isn’t the first appearance of Portuguese man o’ wars in the area; they’ve washed up on Sussex shores before, often driven by strong westerly winds.
These marine organisms float on the water surface, using a gas-filled bladder as a sail, and deploy long tentacles for hunting. The recent sightings of these siphonophores highlight the diversity of marine life off Sussex’s coast. The public is advised to report any further sightings and exercise caution around these unique sea creatures.
For more information about the Sussex Dolphin Project please head over to https://sussexdolphinproject.org/
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