Two Dozen Portuguese Man-Of-Wars Wash Up

One was bad enough.

But now more than two dozen Portuguese Man Of Wars washed up on Surf City beaches Saturday morning, according to app.com.

Lifeguards are picking up the creatures, putting them in Ziploc bags and then in the trash, Councilman Peter Hartney said.

“There must be a pretty good colony offshore,” he said. ”I would say they are about the size of a small rubber ball.”

Beachgoers who find a man o’ war should contact a lifeguard, who will dispose of it.

The Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol found a periwinkle-blue Portuguese man of war washed up on the beach last weekend, according to the patrol’s Facebook page.

“When the wind is coming from the northeast, warm water from the Gulf Stream comes to shore,” the post states. “With the warm water, often comes seaweed and critters from down south. Always be aware of your surroundings in the ocean and always swim near a lifeguard.”

Portuguese man of wars are covered with venom-filled nematocysts that can paralyze fish and other small creatures, according to Nationalgeographic.com

“For humans, a man-of-war sting is excruciatingly painful, but rarely deadly,” according to the website. “But beware—even dead man-of-wars washed up on shore can deliver a sting.”

According to NBC10, some experts predicted it’s very likely that more Portuguese man o’ war will show up on New Jersey beaches this weekend.