Alex Trelinski
A SEASIDE pest has been spotted on a Costa Blanca beach after causing chaos in the region last year when red flags were raised to stop people going into the sea.
The Portuguese man o’war was washed ashore onto Torrevieja’s La Mata beach this week, according to local reports.
It probably reached the area via westerly winds carrying it on a current from its usual natural habitat in the Atlantic Ocean.
No other sightings have been reported so far and no warnings have been issued by local authorities.
Though regularly referred to as a jellyfish, the man o’war is actually a different species that is classified as a siphonophore.
It is extremely rare for their venom to kill anybody, but a sting from their tentacles can cause severe discomfort to children and elderly people.
In 2018 and 2019, numerous appearances of the man o’war forced bathing restrictions across the region at beaches in Benidorm, the Orihuela Costa, Torrevieja, and Villajoyosa.
An 11-year-old boy was stung on La Marina beach in the Elche municipality and needed hospital treatment.
