PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WHDH) - Swimmers are being urged to use caution when getting in the water at Rhode Island state beaches after an influx of Portuguese men o’war were spotted in the area.
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management said it has posted purple flags around state beaches to indicate the presence of the dangerous marine animal.
“If swimmers see something that looks like a balloon floating on top of the water, they should stay far away,” said Katie Rodrigue, Principal Marine Biologist from DEM Division of Marine Fisheries.
Rodrigue added that the men o’war are likely coming up on the Gulf stream and being brought to shore by southerly winds. She said abundance has been low so far, and the marine event often lasts only a short time.
The sting of the organism, also known as “floating terror,” can be very painful and last up to several hours. It is rarely deadly to humans.
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