With a little help from the warming Gulf Stream, Nova Scotia beachgoers are encountering a strange creature with a balloon-like body whose sting packs a higher punch than that of jellyfish.
Last week, a Portuguese man o’ war appeared at a surfing hot spot on Lawrencetown Beach in Dartmouth, N.S. The animal, a species of siphonophore — closely related to jellyfish — has a transparent, inflated sail often adorned with purple, blue or pink markings. It drifts through the water, propelled by currents and wind.
Although there are no concrete numbers on how often the Portuguese man o’ war is spotted in Nova Scotia, Sandra Johnston, with the province’s Natural Resources Department, said sightings have become more common along east and south shore beaches since 2020.
“(Getting stung) is quite a painful sting. It is just like a jellyfish sting but significantly stronger that lasts around 20 minutes,” Johnston said …