Portuguese Man O’ Wars in the Gulf - What you need to know

Their sting is rarely deadly to humans—but it can be extremely painful.
Published: Apr. 16, 2025 at 5:28 PM CDT
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PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, Portuguese Man O’ Wars are closely related to jellyfish. Their sting is rarely deadly to humans—but it can be extremely painful. Recently, they’ve been showing up in local waters.

Purple flags designate dangerous marine life has been spotted in the water. In most cases, that means things that sting.

Lately, it’s been Portuguese Man O’ Wars.

We spoke with Panama City beach officials to find out a little bit more about these Portuguese Man o’ Wars that that has been spotted in the waters and what you need to know if you’re going to the beach.

Daryl Paul, PCB Beach Safety Director explains, “A Portuguese Man O’ War looks like a blue bag, a little balloon-type looking thing. They have tentacles that come off underneath. They can actually get pretty long, they can break apart and drift in the surf, and they can actually still stink you even if they break apart. So that’s why when we see them, we try to be as proactive as we can with putting the purple flag up so that when you’re visiting the beach, you can set your expectation before you get down there.”

Portuguese Man O’ Wars drift with the winds and currents.

Officials say if you do get stung by a Portuguese Man O’ War, is to flush it out with clean water.

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