Top Brit beach hotspot closed after deadly Man O’War spotted forcing hundreds of UK holidaymakers to flee sea
A BENIDORM beach was evacuated today after a deadly Portuguese Man O’War was spotted lurking in the water.
Holidaymakers were ordered to get out of the sea at Levante beach in the boozy Spanish hotspot as lifeguards frantically scoured the sea for the balloon-like creature.
Footage shows hundreds of beachgoers waiting at the edge of the water as lifeguards took out their boat and searched the ocean for 30 minutes.
They couldn’t find any sign of the creature – and let tourists pile back into the sea at the iconic beach.
But lifeguards have now marked the beach with a yellow flag and a jellyfish flag to warn tourists of the potential dangers of taking a dip.
A Portuguese Man O’War has tentacles that can extend more than 30 metres – and wrap around unsuspecting swimmers.
Liberty Kinlin-Martin, 22, told The Sun: “Someone spotted the jelly, so they evacuated the sea.
“The lifeguards spent 30 minutes searching for it – but couldn’t find it. Police were there watching what was going on.
“There were a few people trying to get back in the water while they were searching but the lifeguards ordered them to get out with a whistle.
“There was a lifeguard boat with two people on board searching the water, and lifeguards along the beach.”
Liberty, from Poole, Dorset, said holidaymakers remained calm as they were suddenly ushered out of the sea – and seemed unphased by the drama.
“It seems to be as busy in the water now as it was yesterday,” she said.
Named for its likeness to an 18th-century Portuguese warship under full sail, the Portuguese Man O’War packs a painful punch and causes welts on skin.
As a jelly-like siphonophore, they can be blue, violet, or pink – and are closely related to jellyfish.
Often mistaken as a plastic bag or a balloon by tourists taking a dip, their long strands of tentacles can extend by as much as 30 metres under the surface.
They catch small fish and crustaceans with their stinging tentacles – and can sting you weeks after washing up on the beach.
The unmistakable balloon-like critters are sometimes found floating in warm ocean waters sometimes in groups of 1,000 or more.
And they can’t swim and move with the winds and tides – which is why they often end up washed ashore after big storms.
It comes after rare venomous jellyfish washed up on beaches in Ibiza.
British tourists heading to the Spanish hotspot have been warned to watch out for the purple sea dwellers lurking on the shore.
Named Pelagia noctiluca, they have tentacles that can stretch almost 10ft.
In recent weeks, a series of sightings have been logged on an app known as Medusas (jellyfish) Ibiza – developed to warn tourists about which bays to avoid.
Up until the 1980s, blooms of mauve stingers used to occur once every 12 years.
But in the past few years, they have become an annual occurrence.
If mauve stingers touch your skin the sting can feel as painful as a 9-volt battery sting.
It sparks a burning sensation, inflammation and red rashes.
They have stinging cells all over their bodies and can leave painful marks for weeks.
Conditions in recent years have been ideal for the jellyfish, with mild weather, little rain and unusually warm sea temperatures.
Overfishing in the seas around Ibiza has also led to the demise of traditional purple jellyfish predators, including swordfish and red tuna.
Mauve stinger jellyfish are often a mauve purple colour, but can also come in shades of pink, light brown or yellow.
The best protection against stings is suncream, which prevents the venom released by the tentacles from penetrating the skin.
What is a Portuguese man o'war?
Beachcombers be warned: a man o’war may still sting you even WEEKS after having washed ashore.
The Portuguese man o’war, (Physalia physalis) is often called a jellyfish.
But is actually a species of siphonophore, a group of animals that are closely related to jellyfish.
Each of the four specialised parts of a man o’ war is responsible for a specific task, such as floating, capturing prey, feeding, and reproduction.
Found mostly in tropical and subtropical seas, men o’ war are propelled by winds and ocean currents alone, and sometimes float in legions of 1,000 or more.
The US National Ocean Service says: “Resembling an 18th-century Portuguese warship under full sail, the man o’ war is recognised by its balloon-like float, which may be blue, violet, or pink and rises up to six inches above the waterline.”
Lurking below the float are long strands of tentacles and polyps that grow to an average of 30 feet and may extend by as much as 100 feet.
The tentacles contain stinging nematocysts.
These are microscopic capsules loaded with coiled, barbed tubes that deliver venom capable of paralysing and killing small fish and crustaceans.
The man o’ war’s sting can kill humans – although it is rare.
It packs a painful punch and causes welts on exposed skin.