VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — There’s something lurking in the water that may be cute as a button, but can pack quite the sting.
If you’re planning to squeeze a few more beach days in before it gets too cold, you might want to keep an eye out for these guys. A 10 On Your Side viewer on the beach at Dam Neck sent in a photo of what’s called a blue button, and, at first glance, it might look like a jellyfish, but Robert Donovan with the Virginia Aquarium shed some light on its true nature.
Man o’ war spotted on Oceanfront beach
“It’s not technically a jellyfish,” Donovan said. “It is a gelatinous creature, but it doesn’t meet the criteria for a true jellyfish. They are similar to the Portuguese man o’ war in that they are a hydrozoan colony. So it’s not one individual. It’s a colony of animals making up what looks like one individual.”
Hurricane Erin might have had something to do with their visit to our coast. These creatures usually inhabit more tropical waters. Riding the winds and currents is how they move…