A warning to beachgoers this holiday weekend. If you see bubble-like creatures washed up on shore, take caution. The Indo-Pacific Man o’ War has been spotted at several northern and eastern beaches from Ritidian to Talofofo.
“The pain was for maybe 20 minutes and my lips swelled up from the sting and that lasted about 30 minutes,” said Guam Department of Agriculture Fisheries Biologist Brent Tibbatts when recounting the time he was stung in the face by an Indo-Pacific Man o’ War.
He continued, “A few years ago we were doing surveys in Pago Bay. One of my colleagues and I were snorkeling in the waters. I had one tentacle get me across the face and across the mouth. It was very painful. We canceled surveys immediately.”
While not deadly, these jellyfish-like marine creatures can pack a painful sting.
Tibbatts is warning beach goers to take caution as they’ve been spotted recently along our northern and eastern shores.
Tibbatts said, “They show up every year around this time of year. The weather conditions that we are experiencing now bring them close to shore.”
The unwelcomed visitors usually pop up between November to February when we experience strong winds and waves.
So far, there have been recent sightings at Tarague Beach, Jinapsan Beach, Pago Bay, and Ipan Talofofo. If the winds shift, the Man o’ War’s may be invading more shores.
“They may work their way around to the west side and we may start to see them in Tumon or Piti as well,” Tibbatts said.
One beach goer, Cory Gentry said she's already had an encounter.
Gentry shared, “Actually two weeks ago at Tarague beach, I actually felt like a little sting or something. My husband looked in the water but he didn’t see anything. But later I saw a post on a Facebook page that some jellyfishes or the Man o’ War specifically washed up on shore.”
But it's not stopping her or others like Maria Deldridge from soaking up some sun.
“There’s too many pretty days not to enjoy the ocean and take advantage of it for sure…Guam is pretty good about informing us about what goes on in our oceans so when that happens I usually bring my first aid kit and try to inform myself what to do in case,” Deldridge said.
While beach goers should take caution, Tibbatts said it’s important to know that they are not the more dangerous Portuguese Man o’ War.
These look like little blue bubbles, about 2 and a half inches with tentacles reaching up to 6 feet long.
Tibbatts said, “I want to remind people that they can sting you even if they’re dead and laying on the beach. If you see them laying on the beach, don’t pick them up or step on them with bare feet. They can still sting you.”
And a reminder that if you do get stung, do not pee on it.
Here's what you should do.
“The first thing if you do get stung, remove any remaining tentacles that are sticking to you. Use a stick, credit card, or driver’s license to scrape them off. Flush the wound with salt water, not fresh water. Applying vinegar will help disable any stinging cells that are still there. You may then want to apply heat to lessen the pain and take your favorite painkiller,” Tibbatts explained.
If you spot any of these Indo-Pacific Man o’ War’s, you are asked to report them to the Department of Agriculture by calling (671) 734-0289/94 or email [email protected].
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