Yesterday I mentioned how inviting the water was at the beach, yet I didn't go in. Well, besides not having a bathing suit on that day, seeing these Man of Wars was enough to keep me out of the water. You couldn't really stroll down the beach, soaking up the sun and surf and being oblivious to everything around you. You had to pay careful attention to where you were stepping, even on the shore. I think I pushed mom out of the way a couple of times so she wouldn't step on one (okay, so you can be oblivious to everything around you as long as you have someone else to push you out of the way). Even dad had to tell me to watch my step a couple of times.
I do like the colors of the Man of War but I think I'll just admire them from a distance. One mother saw the Man of War in the water floating towards her kids and said okay that's it no more playing in the water. The kids couldn't understand why it was such a big deal (they don't look that dangerous). Of course if they had been stung then they would have gotten the hint.
Shirley
Wow. I’ve never seen a man o’war. How freaky do they look?! I am fascinated and love their colors. Are they a kind of jelly fish?
Jamie
I know absolutely nothing about these creatures except to stay away from them. I did a Google search and came up with the following:
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/portuguese-man-of-war.html
The Portuguese Man O’ War (Physalia physalis), also known as the bluebubble, bluebottle or the man-of-war, is commonly thought of as a jellyfish but is actually a siphonophore—a colony of specialized polyps and medusoids.
I’m not sure what any of the above meant!