While on a leisurely stroll on the beach today, I came across this rather intriguing animal, a Portuguese Man of War. They have always fascinated me as they are so different from most other animals we see in our world. They do have tentacles, sometimes 30 feet long, that can sting a person. The stings are rarely fatal, but they are very, very painful. They can even sting you when they are washed up on the shore and look deceased.

They were named for an 18th century armed ship that bore a resemblance to the Man of War.
They have no means of locomotion in the water. The swim bladder keeps them on the surface where winds and currents move them around.

Quite often, if found in any numbers on a beach, they will close the beach to avoid injuries to unsuspecting swimmers. They also go by the name, Portuguese Man O' War.