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Portuguese man-of-war swarm beaches in Gironde: “Its venom is very painful”
Since the beginning of summer, Portuguese man-of-war, or physalia, notorious marine organisms often mistaken for jellyfish, have been washing up in large numbers on the Atlantic beaches of southwestern France.
Recently, the Gironde region has been affected, particularly around the Arcachon Bay and the Banc d’Arguin, with more than twenty of these animals recorded on the shore. Unlike ordinary jellyfish, a physalia is a colony of specialized organisms: a floating gelatinous sail carries the group, while other polyps handle reproduction and prey capture. Its tentacles, invisible from a distance, can reach up to 30 meters.
Elvire Antajan, head of the Ifremer station in Arcachon, explained that currents and winds drive these normally offshore creatures toward the coast. “Seeing them wash up en masse is unusual,” she noted.
The filaments contain stinging cells that inject venom on contact. “Its venom is very painful and can cause tetany or, in cases of panic, drowning. Even on the sand, a physalia remains dangerous for weeks,” warned the specialist. Authorities recommend not touching these marine animals, even if dead or broken, and observing temporary beach closures. In case of stings, rinse with seawater, avoid rubbing, and seek medical help if reactions are severe.
Ifremer is developing a predictive modeling tool to anticipate physalia arrivals, aiming to better inform local authorities and the public.
