Portuguese Man O'War jellyfish "sail" to Irish West Coast

Mountainsandh

Not exactly weather, but I was reading about these "kinda"jellyfish, and it is said that they usually hang around warm waters, but the jet stream may sometimes blow them up North a bit... Thought it might be interesting to some since it appears a little unusual that they should wash off as far as Ireland's shores. They have no means of propulsion, so rely completely on winds, currents, and I guess, sea water temps.

Here is the Wiki on this :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_Man_o'_War



And here is the article on what was found in Ireland : Biological Hazard in Ireland on Monday, 10 October, 2011 at 13:49 (01:49 PM) UTC.
DescriptionThe deadly Portugese Man o’ War jellyfish has been spotted in two locations off the south coast of Ireland. Kevin Flannery, of the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, is based in Dingle, Co Kerry and said that he received a call this morning saying a Portuguese Man o’ War had been found on a beach at Allihies in West Cork. He received the call from a man who found the jellyfish and wasn’t sure what the beautifully-coloured sea creature was. After spotting a photograph alongside an article in today’s Irish Independent about a similar jellyfish found in Dingle, he realised that he had found one of nature’s deadliest animals. Flannery told TheJournal.ie that when he put the jellyfish found in Dingle inside a tank, it “blew up like a balloon” and rose nearly one feet into the air. He said this appeared to be in an attempt to catch any wind so that the jellyfish could float to another location. He added that the jellyfish had to be put in its own tank as the last time it shared a tank it killed all the other occupants. Flannery urges anyone who thinks they have spotted a Portuguese Man o’ War to contact their local SFPA office – there is a full list of numbers here - and to stay clear of the creature. Portuguese Man o’ War jellyfish are so deadly that they can kill even after they themselves have died. If they sting humans, they leave large red welts and venom that can travel to the lymph nodes, causing severe pain. In some cases, their sting can lead to death.http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/site/?pageid=event_desc&edis_id=BH-20111010-32628-IRL

M.T. Cranium

I would imagine it's the Gulf stream rather than the jet stream that forces them into their migrations. Or North Atlantic Drift if you prefer.

We'll try to blow the feckers back to Portugal next week, I hope to visit those beaches one day soon, one bloated furriner is enough. :eek:

Mountainsandh

Of course you're right, I don't have a clue really, but I'm learning bits every day with this forum.
I'm sure I'm speaking for everyone when I say you'll be a lot more welcome here than these dangerous creatures .

Sponge Bob

I often saw the feckers in Galway Bay, at least 4 or 5 times. Nothing unusual about it in late summer and autumn.

Mountainsandh

I'm headed the West Cork way this week-end, will keep my eyes peeled for a sighting ! Would love to get a pic of one.

byhookorbycrook

Washed up where we normally swim on our holliers....will be checking the water carefully next time

Weylin

old news, mentioned in angling forum several days ago...The Portuguese Man of War Jellyfish in Irish Waters!!

Mountainsandh

ok, never look at angling forum.

gbee

Mountainsandh wrote: »

ok, never look at angling forum.

I think we should get angling messages in here from now on tooooooo

planetX

is it news? I remember them being around when I was a kid.
I'm surprised it's not being used as evidence of climate change:mad:

Mountainsandh

I'm French so I only have a span of 15 years in Ireland, but never saw or heard about them here, but I'm in South East, so maybe it's too far for these currents to reach our beaches. They look like mad yokes.