South Carolina DNR warns of 'highly venomous' man-of-wars on beaches from Florida to North Carolina

SOUTH CAROLINA -- The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources on Friday, June 7 issued a warning about Portugese man-of-wars washing up on beaches in the state.

DNR officials said a small number of the jellyfish relatives had been reported on South Carolina beaches.

They noted that people should steer clear of them because they are highly venomous, and even a dead man-of-war has a sting strong enough to sometimes require medical attention.

Fortunately, the bright blue "float" of a man-of-war makes them easy to recognize and avoid, the DNR said.

Typically a resident of the open ocean, the man-of-war is actually four creatures living together in a colony. They are occasionally pushed ashore by strong winds.

The South Carolina DNR said they had washed onto beaches from Florida to North Carolina.