(Man O War 'jellyfish'.  Yeah, it's real)

The windy conditions on the beach this Holiday Weekend has kicked up some great waves for the surfers.  The downside of the windy conditions are for us causal beach swimmers.  The little menace washing up on beaches is the Portugese Man-O-War.  They are not quite a jelly-fish, but pack a nasty sting like one.  They are a simple organism that looks like a purple balloon (they really do..especially if many of the tentacles are not attached).  The main part of the body is filled with air and it floats on the water.  Windy conditions blow them ashore and that spells trouble.  While they do comb the beach early in the morning...you still need to be careful of these things.  We got up at sunrise today and were amazed at how many we saw.  Most were only a few inches...but I would say we saw at least 100 in the few blocks we walked.


(Cluster of Man O Wars on Ft. Lauderdale Beach.)

If you get to the beach after 9 AM, you probably won't see too many as they have dried out or been picked up by then.  Just be careful when you walk and make sure the kids don't play with them.  The sting can cause extreme pain and even more complicated problems if you are allergic to the venom. 

Once the wind calms, the Man O War threat should significantly decrease.