Purple flag warning issued in Oak Island

OAK ISLAND, NC (WWAY) — The Town of Oak Island has issued the Purple Flag to its current Beach Warning Flag condition due to several reports of Man O’War found washed ashore.

The Purple Flag, which was added Sunday, indicates a higher concentration of potentially harmful marine life.

While forecasts from the National Weather Service maintain a Green Flag for surf conditions and Rip Current Risk in the area, the reported Man O’ War has caused the Purple Flag to be added locally.

The town says the beach areas are still safe to enjoy, but caution and awareness of surroundings is urged for swimming and other in-water.

The Portuguese Man O’ War is commonly mistaken for a jellyfish, but is in fact a siphonophore, which are a group of specialized animals called zooids that act together as a unit. This differs from actual jellyfish, which are a single animal.

They are easily recognized by their unique balloon-like float, which comes in shades of purple, pink, or blue. Along with the float are strands of tentacles that can extend anywhere from 30-100′ long. While the man o’ war’s sting is rarely deadly to people, it is extremely painful and causes welts on exposed skin.

These can still sting for several days or even weeks after washing ashore. If encountering a Man O’ War in the ocean, calmly exit the area as soon as possible. Those found lying on the beach should not be touched or handled in any way, by humans or their pets.

Last week, several Man O’War also washed up at Sunset Beach.