World's most dangerous jellyfish with killer sting washes up in Brit hols hotspot as cops cordon off beach

Scottish Sun

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A BEACH on one of Britain's favourite sunshine getaways was turned into a danger zone after the world's most dangerous jellyfish washed ashore.
The Portuguese Man O'War was discovered in Cala en Porter, a popular beach in Menorca after a beachgoer spotted the bizarre-looking blob on the sand.
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A Portuguese Man O'War jellyfish washed ashore on one of Britain's favourite holiday hotspots
Credit: Alamy
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The dangerous creature was found by a beachgoer in Cala en Porter, Menorca
Credit: Getty
Lifeguards then quickly retried the deadly drifter, cordoning off a wide section of the beach before local cops swooped in to take over.
The creature - which isn't technically a jellyfish but a colonial organism - is rarely seen outside the open Atlantic.
It can cause permanent scars or even kill people with allergies.
Even if you are not near its head, the trailing tentacles can give you a painful sting when you least expect it.
Highlighting its deceptive beauty, authorities warned: 'It has an intense poisonous colour in purple, blue and pink.'
The appearance follows a jaw-dropping jellyfish invasion in the Canary Islands.
The popular Playa del Cura in Gran Canaria turned blue after a storm dumped tens of thousands of stinging jellyfish onto the sand.
In an incredible video, the popular beach looked like a scene from a sci-fi movie, blanketed in vivid blue jellyfish that left stunned tourists steering clear.
Experts say the jellyfish surge is linked to warming seas and rising pollution, as jellyfish thrive in low-oxygen zones where other marine life can't survive.
Spanish Beaches Close Due to Dangerous Sea Creature
Back in Menorca, the man-of-war is a stark reminder that beachgoers must stay alert.
'Touching the mollusc can cause permanent scars and, in extreme cases, even lead to death in people with allergies,' beach officials reiterated.
Local authorities are monitoring the waters and warn tourists not to approach any strange blobs they spot on the sand – no matter how pretty they look.
Last year, thousands of venomous jellyfish were found on the beaches of Cornwall.
Mauve Stingers, also known as Pelagia noctiluca, were found both in the water and dead in the sand.
While their stings are not lethal, they are known to be quite painful.
The Mauve Stinger can grow up to 10cm across while its tentacles can be up to 10 feet long.
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The creature has dangerous tentacles that can stretch up to 30 feet
Credit: Alamy
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In rare cases, the Man O'War's sting can even cause death, especially in people with allergies
Credit: Getty
The jellyfish are purple or blue in colour, hence the name Mauve, and were spotted on a 30-mile stretch of coastline between Falmouth and St Austell.
Rachael Edmans, the beachgoer in Falmouth who spotted the apocalyptic scene, was shocked to see just how many had been washed up as she went for a paddle in the sea.
"I was very surprised to see so many mauve stingers," she said.
"Usually we see lots of compass jellyfish. But never that many."
Alison Wilcock spotted thousands of the sea creatures on the beaches of St Austell.
"We usually get a few every year but nothing like this," she said of the thousands of dangerous blobs scattering the beach.
"The whole of St Austell is teeming with them."