Don't swim at these North Carolina beaches, officials warn of fecal bacteria link; man-of-war swarm NC island
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — North Carolina health officials warned people against swimming in three areas at the coast this week due to high bacteria levels. Meanwhile, another Tar Heel coastal community warned about more visible beach dangers — painful stings from Portuguese Man-of-War.
The bacteria warnings came after heavy rains this week, which can typically cause higher bacteria counts because of runoff from storms.
The high-profile beach hazards — Portuguese Man-of-War — washed ashore on Friday, according to the Sunset Beach Fire Department in Brunswick County.
'These aren't jellyfish, but colonies of organisms with a powerful sting. Even when dead, their tentacles can still sting, so DO NOT TOUCH them,' said fire officials in Sunset Beach, an island about a mile from the South Carolina line.
Fire crews said man-of-war are blue or purple with balloon-like floats on the water's surface or washed up on the sand. The organisms have long, thread-like tentacles that are painful.
The most serious bacteria problem this week was at a sound-side beach across from Whiskey Creek along the Intracoastal Waterway near marker #135 in Wilmington, according to the N.C. Recreational Water Quality Program.
Test results of water samples taken in Whiskey Creek on Wednesday and Thursday indicate bacteria levels that exceed the state and federal action levels of 104 enterococci per 100 milliliters. The swimming advisory is 200 feet from the sign along the Intracoastal Waterway.
Enterococci, the bacteria group used for testing, is found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals and is an indicator of fecal contamination in water.
Further north, a swimming advisory was issued Thursday for part of the Outer Banks at a spot in Dare County, according to the N.C. Recreational Water Quality Program.
Testing at Jockey's Ridge Sound-side Access in Nags Head found water samples that show a running monthly average of 37 enterococci per 100 milliliters of water, according to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.
The levels in the Roanoke Sound exceed the state and federal standards of a running monthly average of 35 enterococci per 100 milliliters, based on five samples taken within a 30-day period, officials said.
This advisory is not a beach closing, nor does the advisory affect the entire Nags Head area. Swimming advisories are for waters within 200 feet of the sign.
Another swimming advisory was issued Friday for a sound-side site in Beaufort County, officials said. The same levels of bacteria from Nags Head were found at a sound-side site in Beaufort County, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality said. The advisory is also for 200 feet from the sign.
North Carolina water quality officials sample 221 sites throughout the coastal region, most of them on a weekly basis, from April to October. Click here to view the other sites and see when the advisories end for the areas from this week.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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