Man of Wars
 

July 4, 2006
Man-of-Wars close beaches
By ERIC WILLIAMS
STAFF WRITER
OK, it's not ''Jaws,'' but it's still inspiring fear and keeping people out of the water on a holiday weekend.
Yesterday, the slow, drifting invasion of Portuguese man-of-wars closed four beaches on Nantucket.
''It's a little similar to shark sightings,'' said Alice McWade, office administrator of the Nantucket Park and Recreation Commission.
McWade confirmed that Miacomet, Madaket, Surfside and Cisco beaches - all along Nantucket's south shore - were closed for at least part of the day yesterday after numerous reports of the jellyfish-like stinging blobs.
''Don't make it a big to-do,'' said assistant Nantucket Harbor Master Kenneth Lappin. ''It's not a plague. We don't see any extended area - we haven't got two miles or four miles of man-of-wars out there. We've just got a few jellyfish.''
However, Lappin, who has spent approximately 35 summers on the island, said he couldn't recall a previous Nantucket beach-closing due to the beasties.
Portuguese man-of-wars have been seen in area waters over the past few days, and in several cases, painfully encountered. On Sunday at least eight people sought assistance after being stung while in the water in Falmouth. Earlier in the weekend, five people at a Chilmark beach were stung. Beaches were temporarily closed in both towns.
On June 26, Philip Beauregard of Westport reported that he was repeatedly stung by two man-of-wars off Westport's East Beach. Beauregard said the stings caused severe pain and led to an overnight hospital stay.
The sting of a Portuguese man-of-war is painful but rarely life-threatening, although it can cause shock in some people.
Storms and warm currents can send the man-of-wars our way, though they are more typically seen in warmer climes.
In a recent interview with the Times, Erich Horgan, a research associate in the biology department at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, expressed some surprise at the man-of-wars' early arrival in our region, but said they weren't rare in Cape waters and would likely be in the vicinity for much of the summer.
And, for scorekeeping purposes, Portuguese man-of-wars, though wiggly, are not jellyfish. And a man-of-war is not a single animal, but a colony of interdependent organisms, packed into a gas-filled top float that resembles a warship of yore. The tentacles can hang down 100 feet or more, in order to ensnare and digest small fish and other delicacies.
Don't get too close to a washed-up man-of-war on the beach, either. The darn thing can still sting, even when dead.
Eric Williams can be reached at ewilliams@capecodonline.com.
(Published: July 4, 2006)

When I was down Hollywood Fla. 25yrs. ago there was always "Hazardous Bathing" signs posted because of them . They were only baby ones, but they were all over the beach . I was walking the beach with my girl (now wife) and she was bare foot popping them as she walked. They were a clear purpleish plastic looking bubble with strands and they were dead . I asked this guy coming the other way what they were and he told me . Just as he told me the surf pushed a live one up on his foot . He swore and limped all the way down the beach . :doh: Big guy too .. little baby thing ruined his day .. :smash:

Actually saw a bunch of those on Cutty This weekend washed up on shore. Didn't put 2 and 2 together until I saw the news last night and they showed the Pics.

Interestingly enough, we saw ALOT of them this spring on a delivery offshore.

More than normal. :huh:

offshore delivery....and what pray tell were you delivering? :smokin:

thats boat talk for moving some rich f-er's blow boat so he doenst have to. :hihi:

I know but had to mess with him a little. :tooth:

14 cartons of marlboros @ $11 a carton from St Maarten.
Customs just about crapped themselves when they saw that, asked if they were all mine "no sir, the crew smokes too." :smokin: :smokin: :smokin:

:rotf3:
the motoryacht goons are worse.
"oh by the way can you make sure that the salt all gets washed off when you get to Annapolis?"

that'll cost you extra ya fruit. :hihi:

Seen one sunday south of cutty in 100' abou 1 mile out.

I actually saw one in the canal Sunday afternoon between the dolphins and Mashnee Island! Thought it was a paper cup until we passed it. Just a small one?

Oh yeah, 1st post! Finally had something to contribute, as I don't have much luck with any big fish! Working hard at changing that though!

dozens of them in vineyard sound the other day.

we actually had 1in diameter jellyfish all around us this past weekend... very tiny but there were lots of them.... we were just hanging out on the boat wanting to go swimming and those lil buggers were everywhere.

Because I don't know that much about jellyfish we didn't jump in, we moved to another spot... but there were people jumping off their boats all around us, not getting stung sooooooo i dunno.

what is jellyfish protocol? I know all sting but will tiny one sometimes no bigger than my thumbnail actually cause some damage.. I can only think MANY tiny ones will??

At least we don't have the Box Jellies like they have in Australia. They'll kill you. The whole north coast is closed for swimming in the summer due to them.

They also have the iriganji which is the size of your thumb nail but can kill you by accelerating your heart.

i heard today blue shutters and charlestown beaches are closed because of them, any truth to this?