I must admit, I was mildly obsessed with the Portuguese Man O’ War when I found my first one on Cape Hatteras National Seashore.  The pink and blue translucent colors on the sail, as well as the mesmerizing patterns within the individual tentacles…they grabbed my attention firmly.  No matter the strange looks I got from passerby’s!

The Portuguese Man O’ War is a siphonophore (not a jelly fish).  They are colonial organisms made up of many smaller units, called Zooids, working in unison for the common good of the overall organism.  The most recognizable part of a Portuguese Man O’ War is often the gas-filled bubble that is used for travel via the prevailing winds.  Some locals mentioned to me that in the late autumn and early winter months during hard southerly blows (warm fronts), the Atlantic can carry up many Portuguese Man O’ Wars (presumably within the Gulf Stream) and deposit them onto the nearshore beaches.

It might even be somewhat common while beachcombing to step on the gas filled sails of smaller Man O’ Wars by accident, creating an audible popping sound beneath your feet.  As long as the tenticles are not attached to the sail, they are harmless; if the tenticles remain, be cautious even around beached Man O’ Wars.  The venomous nematocysts can apparently still deliver a punch!

Camera:  Nikon D810
Lens:  Nikkor 60mm micro f2.8 @ 60mm
Tripod:  Really Right Stuff TVC-33

Date taken:  January 01, 2019
Settings:  f14, 1/20 second, iso-200