Portuguese Man o’ War wash ashore in Oak Island

OAK ISLAND, NC (WWAY) –Beach officials in Oak Island are raising safety flags and urging caution after Portuguese man-o-war were found washing up on shore.

Oak Island Water Rescue posted photos to social media this week, warning visitors that a yellow flag is flying for a moderate rip current risk — and now, a purple flag has been added to signal the presence of hazardous marine life.

The Oak Island Fire Department’s Beach Safety Unit has been patrolling the shoreline and burying hundreds of Portuguese man-o-war.

Officials say the stings caused by man-o-war differ from jellyfish stings and can be more severe.

“They don’t normally go under water, but their tentacles are so long that you could see ’em a couple hundred feet away — and that tentacle can be dangerously near you,” said Oak Island Water Rescue Chief Terry Hoben. “They can be as long as 100 to 160 feet long.”

Hoben urged beachgoers not to touch or try to remove the marine creatures.

Instead, he said people should call 911. The Oak Island Fire Department’s Beach Safety Unit is equipped with the proper gear to safely remove them.