Portuguese Man O' War Wash Up On Beach

The Gulf Shores Fire Department wants beach goers to be on the lookout for Portuguese Man O' War.

Thousands of the jelly like creatures washed up on the beach Wednesday because of the strong wind and surf.

Portuguese Man O' War can sting still sting you even if they're out of the water. The venom in their tentacles usually causes severe pain for about an hour and red welts on the skin that last for 2-3 days.

If you get stung by a Portuguese Man O' War:
- Remove any remnants of the creature from the skin, but don't use your fingers.
- Apply salt water to the affected area.
- Then apply hot water to ease the pain of the sting
- Finally, apply ice, preferably in the form of an icepack, to suppress swelling and pain

Purple flags are flying at the beach to warn people about the dangerous marine life. There is also a warning on the surf condition line, 251.968.TIDE.