Recent strong winds have blown in an exotic visitor to the Dorset coast. A live Portuguese man-of-war found in Kimmeridge Bay on the 11th August is the third to be reported in Dorset over the last few days. These jellyfish-like floating colonies have a powerful sting on their long tentacles, which hang from a balloon-like float which keeps them at the surface of the sea. They normally live in warm tropical and subtropical water such as along the Florida Keys and Atlantic coast, the Gulf Stream, the Gulf of Mexico, the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and other warm areas of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Dorset Wildlife Trust Marine Warden, Julie Hatcher, said: “We haven’t seen any of these in Dorset for several years and you wouldn’t want to meet one while swimming. They are very rare here, but every few years we see some blown across the ocean. The one we have here is 6 inches long but they can be bigger. There could still be more about, so we would advise people not to touch them but to let us know.”
The Portuguese man-of-war can be seen in the Marine Centre in Kimmeridge Bay. Previous sightings this month were at Burton Bradstock and Durdle Door. Any further sightings should be reported to Dorset Wildlife Trust on 01929 481044.
The Wildlife Trusts nationally are appealing for personal memories of the UK's seas and coasts, including:
• memories from childhood or stories heard from parents/grandparents
• recent experiences
• observations about how our seas and sea life have changed in their lifetime.
Did you see Portuguese man-of-war or other marine wildlife regularly years ago? Let us know at www.wildlifetrusts.org.