Portuguese Man O' War

Spotted and blipped at Herold's Bay , this aggressive fellow is by no means to be tackled with bare hands.

While walking on the beach, numerous of these war mongers were seen, yet, it did not seem to be of much concern to the bathers who enjoyed themselves ...

About this stingy fellow:

"The Portuguese Man O' War (Physalia physalis) is also known as the blue bubble, blue bottle, man-of-war.

They are commonly but erroneously thought of as a jellyfish. In fact, a Portuguese Man O' War is not a single animal, but rather a colony of four kinds of minute, highly modified individuals.

It lives at the surface of the ocean, with its float above the water, serving as a sail, and the rest of the organism hanging below the surface.

Physalia utriculus, commonly known as the bluebottle, frequently occurs in the Pacific and Indian oceans.

They are also frequently to be found along the east coast of South Africa, especially on the Natal beaches (particularly if the wind has been blowing steadily on shore for a number of hours).

It is seldom that only one Portuguese Man O' War is found; the discovery of one usually indicates the presence of many as they can "swarm" in groups of thousands.

Stings usually cause severe pain to humans, leaving whip-like, red welts on the skin which normally last about forty-five minutes after which it should subside.

However, the venom can travel to the lymph nodes and may cause, depending on the amount of venom, more intense pain.

There can also be serious effects, including fever, shock, and interference with heart and lung action. There have even been deaths, although this is rare."


And to end this rather gloomy tale on a more positive note:

Adjacent to Herold's Bay lies Oubaai,, known for its beautiful Golf Estate, developed by Ernie Els.

This is truly a part of Eden.